Linnea Marlene Hayda, 31, of Vail was arrested for false reporting in connection to a March incident in which she was found in a dumpster in Vail’s Sandstone neighborhood, reports Vail Daily.
Hayda is being charged with attempting to influence a public servant, a Class 4 felony; tampering with physical evidence, a Class 6 felony; and false reporting to police, a Class 3 misdemeanor. If convicted, she faces up to six years in prison, said Heidi McCollum, assistant district attorney.
Vail police said they spent more than 200 hours investigating Hayda’s allegations, which they say are “fictitious.”
“The charges in this case are serious. Every time we investigate allegations, every time we take a case of this magnitude, it takes away resources from other cases and away from actual victims,” McCollum said. “That’s not fair to those victims, it’s not fair to our community. People have been on edge, thinking that someone is harming people and dropping them in trash dumpsters. Hopefully, they can now rest easier.”
According to police, at 5:37 am Tuesday, March 27, three days before a March 30 custody hearing in District Court involving her children, Hayda was found in a dumpster with her wrists zip-tied in front of her. She was alive, conscious and breathing but was unable to talk, police said.
Her story “proved to be fictitious,” police said.
Vail detectives concluded that an account provided by Hayda, which led police to issue an alert to the community asking about suspicious activity, proved to be fictitious.
“We appreciate the officers and detectives who devoted their time and expertise to this case and also the public who helped us. We know this caused concern in the community and hope this helps lay some fears to rest,” the Vail Police said in a statement.
