Former UCLA student who faked her disappearance gets probation, community service

Former UCLA student who disappeared gets probation

GLENDALE, Calif. — A Southern California woman who made up a story about being kidnapped to avoid telling her parents she had dropped out of college has been sentenced to three years probation.

Nancy Salas was also ordered Friday to serve 100 hours of community service after pleading no contest to filing a false police report.

The 22-year-old disappeared in May, causing a massive search with helicopters, dogs and dozens of volunteers searching the hills near her Glendale home.

Salas told her family she was about to graduate from UCLA, but detectives learned she hadn’t been enrolled since 2008.

She turned up in downtown Merced and told police that she had been kidnapped.

Defense attorney Jeffrey Tenenbaum said Salas is working full-time and hopes to return to college.