Iowa Woman Arrested for Faking 911 Call to Avoid Meeting Date

Iowa City, Iowa — An 18-year-old woman from an Iowa City suburb was arrested yesterday after she admitted to fabricating an emergency call to avoid meeting a man she had connected with on a dating app.

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Iowa Woman Arrested for Faking 911 Call to Avoid Meeting Dating App Match

Sumaya Thomas, who had been exchanging texts with the man before arranging to meet him in person at her residence, got cold feet and concocted an elaborate ruse to avoid the encounter, according to police.

The incident began when Thomas called 911, reporting that her abusive ex-boyfriend had shown up outside her home and was sending her threats via Snapchat, vowing to "hit, punch, kick, and stab her." Thomas claimed she had known the man for two years and was pregnant with his baby.

Sumaya Thomas (Johnson County)

Officers Respond To The Call

Responding officers encountered a man leaving the scene and detained him for questioning. The man told police he had only started speaking with Thomas about a week ago on a dating app and provided text messages to substantiate his claim.

After a thorough investigation, including multiple interviews, Thomas admitted to lying about the situation. She confessed that she got cold feet about meeting the man in person and did not think the police would help her if she simply asked for assistance. As a result, she fabricated the story to elicit a quicker response.

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Thomas explained that she resorted to the 911 call because she believed the police would not take her seriously if she called for a non-emergency situation. After being read her rights, she acknowledged making up the call and the events she described to avoid the meeting.

Paying The Price For A False Call

Thomas was arrested for placing a false 911 call and making a fake report of an indictable offense, both misdemeanors. She was released from the county jail earlier today following her initial court appearance.