Proud Grandma Accidentally Blows Hero's Cover

And, oops, he's wanted on a warrant
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 24, 2010 3:57 PM CDT
Proud Grandma Accidentally Blows Hero's Cover
A man who saved a teen from drowning gave police a fake name, for good reason.   (Shutterstock)

Strange tale from Oregon: When 33-year-old Erik Hemenway saved a teen from drowning, he gave cops a fake name because he was wanted on an outstanding warrant. His grandmother, reading about his heroics in the paper, noticed it got her grandson's name wrong and called to demand a correction. The paper phoned the cops, who then realized that Hemenway was not "Craig Hemengway," and he had legal troubles that stemmed from leaving the scene of a drunken driving incident a few years ago.

Now cops are working on his behalf with his probation officer to sort things out, reports KATU. In the meantime, the real Hemenway will be honored by the local sheriff's department. "Whatever his status is at the probation department doesn't change his status up at the lake," said a member of the department. "He was a hero, and we hope he'll use this going forward as sort of a spring board." (More arrest warrant stories.)

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