Acid-hoax woman pleads not guilty
Storro to await theft trial in mental health facility
VANCOUVER, Wash. – Her face red and blotchy, the woman who splashed acid in her face in a bizarre hoax made a brief court appearance Wednesday and was ordered by a judge to live in a mental health facility while she awaits trial.
Bethany Storro, 28, has confessed that she made up the story about the facial burns she suffered Aug. 30, saying she put drain cleaner on her face trying to kill herself or alter her appearance, according to police. She pleaded not guilty Wednesday to three theft counts.
The case drew national attention to the recently divorced woman who works for a grocery chain, and it brought in nearly $28,000 in donations to help with medical bills.
The donations are now at the center of Storro’s criminal trial, which is scheduled for Dec. 20. Court records show Storro spent about $1,500 of the donations on such things as dinners for her parents, clothes for herself and a bill for an August laser facial peel.
The accounts containing the donations have been frozen and her parents have said the money will be returned.
Storro spoke two words during her brief appearance, answering “yes” when Judge John Nichols asked her whether she understood the charges and whether she was pleading not guilty.
Nichols ordered Storro to live at the Elahan Place mental health facility in Vancouver, Wash., until her trial.
A spokeswoman for Elahan Place described it as a 24-hour residential community. As a resident, Storro would be required to participate in therapy sessions and clean her room. The spokeswoman, Pat Stryker, declined to speak specifically about Storro’s case.
Umpqua Bank, one of two banks that held fundraisers for Storro after the supposed attack, said Wednesday that it would return all donations to those who have receipts. A spokeswoman said the bank would donate the remainder of the donations to the Legacy Emanuel Hospital’s Oregon Burn Center, where Storro recovered after burning herself.