Woman Claiming She Was Raped Had Actually Stepped Out To Smoke Crack: Cops

JOLIET, IL — A woman hid her baby under a blanket in a bassinet twice so she could slip out of a Joliet shelter and smoke crack on New Year’s Day, then concocted a story about a man raping her down in Wilmington, police said.

Stephanie Harrer, 36, also pulled the fire alarm at the women’s shelter, police said, then went outside with her 2-month-old baby. While she was standing outside with the child, people reportedly asked her what was wrong. That was when she allegedly claimed to have been raped in Wilmington.

The Joliet police called the Wilmington cops. While they were on their way up to speak with Harrer, she allegedly admitted to making the story up.

Harrer first hid her baby under a blanket and left the shelter about noon to go smoke crack, police said. She returned about 2:30 p.m. but left again to get high, once more hiding the baby under a blanket.

Harrer felt paranoid after she got back the second time and decided to pull the fire alarm, police said.

In the Wilmington sexual assault story she fabricated, Harrer claimed a man pulled her into a truck, police said.

Harrer was charged with making a false police report, giving a false fire alarm, and endangering the life or health of a child. She was taken to the Will County jail.