STRANGER THAN FICTION

Romance Author Found Safe After Wild Disappearance to Hawaii

The author had sowed confusion and alarm after going missing for more than two weeks.

A romance novelist who disappeared for more than two weeks was found safe in Hawaii, officials said, ending a wild saga that had sparked confusion and alarm. Faleena Hopkins, 52, was discovered after her cell phone pinged cell phone towers in Kauai. Last month, Hopkins had behaved erratically, fleeing an officer in Wyoming at high speed after “positioning [her car] in the middle of the highway.” She was arrested and charged with several offenses. Upon her initial release, she bought a new phone and disappeared. “The Jackson Police Department would like to extend our thanks to the law enforcement agencies who assisted in this investigation, as well as the members of the press and citizens who ultimately assisted in locating Ms. Hopkins,” local police lieutenant Russ Ruschill told Fox News.