BRADFORD COUNTY, Fla. -- A teenager could face charges for making up a story about fighting off a home intruder and sending police on a multi-county manhunt.
On January 30, Bradford County deputies responded to a call about a burglary at a home on the Bradford and Clay County line. Ashleigh Elam, 19, told police that a man wearing a black ski mask and a long-sleeve black shirt was in her home when she and her roommate came home. Elam said she chased the man. She claimed the fight resulted in a stab wound to her thigh. Elam told police the intruder got away, but not before she stabbed him in the chest.
Numerous deputies from Bradford and Clay County along with bloodhound tracking teams from the Union Correctional Institute and a helicopter from the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office all contributed to a manhunt for the attacker.
During the ongoing investigation, a Bradford County detective realized the evidence did not match up with the stories from Elam and her roommate. He interviewed them again and they admitted to fabricating the story to cover up the fact that the roommate accidentally stabbed her in the leg.
The Bradford County Sheriff's Office is currently in discussions with various agencies involved, including the State Attorney's Office, to decide whether criminal charges will be filed against the teenagers.
