Police discover woman bound and gagged to bed at vacant Santa Ana home

SANTA ANA, Calif. (FOX 11) - Santa Ana police began investigating a kidnapping after a woman was discovered bound and gagged to a bed in the 300 block of E. Warner Avenue -- but the story has a bizarre twist.

Police say at about 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, the property manager went to check up on a vacant property he manages when he noticed the garage door opened and a padlock on the back door.

The property manager called the police and responding officers heard moaning prompting them to cut the padlock, said the Santa Ana Police Department. They found a woman inside who told police she was the victim of a kidnapping earlier in the day and the suspect had taken her to that location.

The woman received medical attention after officers cut her loose. However, by Tuesday night, police had confirmed the woman had made up the kidnapping story and, in fact, she was a squatter. It's unclear how the woman became bound and gag.

Police say the woman, who was not immediately identified, could face criminal charges.