An on-air meteorologist for a New York TV station has been formally charged with making up a story she told police about being the victim of two attacks, according to a criminal complaint filed by the Manhattan district attorney’s office.

Heidi Jones, who does weather reports for WABC-TV, was charged with two misdemeanor counts of false reporting carrying a sentence of up to a year in prison if convicted.
“I made it up for attention,” Jones said, claiming that she was suffering from stress at work and in her personal life, according to the complaint.

Her lawyer, Paul Callan, said a “frenzy of media coverage” has vilified his client and that she intends to fight the charges.

On a lighter note, apparently the TV station says despite the negative impact of the news story, the ratings  are far higher than the usual screenings of the weather reports.