Police caught a Meriden public official on videotape planting evidence in the department's mailroom.
Meriden's director of health and human services has been arraigned on charges she staged a burglary of her office.
Lisa Pippa was presented in court Thursday, accused of falsely reporting an incident. Prosecutors say Pippa ransacked her own office on March 9, and tried to implicate another department employee in the break-in. The Hartford Courant reports:
She told officers that plants had been knocked over, her face "marked out" of family pictures and "graphic" writing and drawings left on the walls, according to the warrant.
According to an arrest warrant affidavit, police placed a surveillance camera in the office and caught Pippa on videotape planting evidence in the department's mailroom.
Prosecutors say Pippa confessed after being confronted with that video.
City Manager Lawrence Kendzior told the Courant that Pippa remains on personal medical leave.
A message seeking comment was left Friday for Pippa's attorney, James Miron. He has told The Record-Journal of Meriden that Pippa suffers from a mental illness.
This report contains information from the Associated Press.
