Vail woman found in dumpster arrested for false reporting

The Vail woman who reported to police that she was tied up and found in a dumpster last month is now facing criminal charges for making a false report.

Police say Linnea Hayda, 31, reported that she was found in the dumpster on March 27, and that prompted police to issue a city-wide alert for suspicious activity. That story was shared across multiple media outlets, including ours.

We’re now learning that Hayda’s account of that incident was fictitious, according to Vail police. Police say they had spent more than 200 hours investigating Hayda’s case.

Hayda was arrested and charged with false reporting to police, tampering with evidence, and attempting to influence a public servant.