Former WABC Meteorologist Jones Gets Community Service

Former WABC New York meteorologist Heidi Jones apologized for her bogus claims of an assault in Central Park, and was hit with 350 hours of community service, reports the Daily News.

“I just want to take a moment to express my sincere and profound apology to all who were involved–most importantly to the police department,” Jones told Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Richard Carruthers.

According to the Daily News, the 350 hours reflect the amount of time detectives spent chasing her bogus claims that she was attacked by a “Hispanic” stranger in the park and approached by the same man outsider her apartment last fall, prosecutors said.

Jones lost her job at WABC following the December 2010 (non) incident. “I will work extremely hard to pay back the city and the department through community service,” said Jones.

Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.