Shawn Cohen and Hoa Nguyen









HASTINGS-ON-HUDSON – A woman who stabbed herself and told police she had been kidnapped and sexually assaulted by her ex-husband and two other men was charged with filing a false report, officials said.

Christine Capurso, 49 — whose ex-husband is Robert Capurso, an assistant fire chief in Yonkers — turned herself in to police and was to be arraigned in Village Court late Wednesday.

"Even though this is only a misdemeanor charge against (Christine) Capurso, we felt it was very important that we fully investigate this case because of the serious implications of her false allegations of being kidnapped, sexually assaulted and stabbed," said Westchester County police Capt. Christopher Calabrese, who investigated the case.

"Her ex-husband could have faced up to 25 years or greater in prison if found guilty of these false allegations," Calabrese said. "We felt it was important to be fully investigated and proved to be false so that it would not happen again, as it has happened numerous times in the past."

Capurso called 911 on Jan. 16 to allege she had been kidnapped on Long Island by a gunman and forced to drive to Westchester where she said she was sexually assaulted in the woods near her ex-husband's home. She and her vehicle were found in the woods off to the side of Farragut Parkway in Hastings.

Discrepancies in her accountand hesitation marks in the shallow stab wounds found on her body led police to question whether Capurso was telling the truth, officials said.

Investigators also determined her ex-husband was alone for only about 10 minutes that day from when he left work at 3:55 p.m. and drove to his children's school.