Mystery Deepens in Miss Puerto Rico Pepper-Spray Incident

[Marisol]

The mystery surrounding the alleged pepper spraying of Puerto Rico's 2008 Miss Universe contestant's belongings is nothing to sneeze at.

Police are now said to be investigating just how Ingrid Marie Rivera was able to stop crying between camera appearances at Saturday's pageant, if indeed her gown and makeup had been sabotaged with the spray, as she asserts, NBC News reports.

The reported skepticism about Rivera prompted Today show host Meredith Vieira to inquire on Tuesday's broadcast if, possibly, crime-scene investigators believe the pepper-spray claim may have been imaginary.

"They're saying, they think she made it up?" Vieira asked reporter Kerry Sanders, who replied: "They're looking into it. They're curious."

Rivera is due to be interviewed on Wednesday's Today show, where, on Tuesday, co-anchor Matt Lauer said he intended to get to the bottom of the mystery.

Composed – at Times

Beating 29 rivals, Rivera took home the crown and the chance to vie in the Miss Universe pageant. Throughout the competition, Rivera was composed while appearing before the cameras and panel of judges.

But once off-camera, she was forced to shed her clothes and apply ice bags to her face and body, which twice swelled and broke out in hives, the Associated Press reports.

"We thought at first it was an allergic reaction, or maybe nerves," said pageant spokesman Harold Rosario. "But the second time, we knew it couldn't have been a coincidence." Later, Rivera's garments and cosmetics tested positive for pepper spray.

Rivera's bag containing her gowns, makeup and credit cards reportedly had also been stolen before the pageant.

Saying that she had wavered about remaining in the competition, Rivera, 24, told reporters at a Sunday news conference, "It was a lot of sacrifice, and my tears were genuine," reports Reuters.

'Am I a Masochist?'

"At one point, I asked, 'Am I a masochist?' But I said regardless of the results, this is my goal. The more rocks there are in my path, the more thanks I will give to God for sustaining me."

Miss Puerto Rico Universe pageant director Magali Febles also told the AP that pageant officials were forced to postpone Thursday's final day of competition because of a bomb threat.

Authorities said they searched the premises with dogs but did not discover any explosives.

 

[dlwt2003]

strange story, I want to believe she is lying trying to get publicity LOL

 

[emily_3383]

These pageant people are nuts.

 

[pinksugar]

righteo.. I think I agree, pageant people are a little bit nuts

I hope she's NOT serious since it would be a really horrible thing to happen to anyone, but then lying about it is horrible too.

 

[mac-whore]

well, it said that her stuff tested positive for pepper spray so, how exactly would she be making it up? idk, if her body broke out in hives i'm kinda forced to believe that she wasn't making it up.

 

[glitter_vertigo]

Apparently the pepper spray was on her things. Even if it wasn't sprayed on her that's irritating enough to cause all that. I work at a vet and when animals that have been sprayed come in for help it's terrible, burns all our eyes and makes it hard to breathe and it certainly didn't hit any of us directly.

 

[Aquilah]

Well, considering she's a pageant winner previously, you learn how to "act" when something isn't going right. It's highly possible for her to be composed in front of the cameras, and then a wreck off camera. There's too much damned speculation, reading into, and paying attention to the BS anymore.

 

[Nox]

My hunch is that is was self-orchestrated.

She had the pepper oil on the inside of her dress, and on her face makeup... not in her eye drops. Yet she says it got in her eyes. If she would have stuck to her original story of the face and body being affected, then maybe the police wouldn't have aired their suspicions publicly.

You don't "pull" yourself together on stage after you've had that crap in your eyes. If she really had it in her eyes, then her whole sinus system would be going berserk and she would have had (TMI) very thick mucous draining out of her nose. She didn't have any of that, her eyelids were not even swollen or anything.

If Ingrid actually ringed this, she really didn't have to do all of that, she still won it anyway. People were saying that the contest was rigged, and that the third place contestant should have won. I have to agree that it was a little fishy when I watched the clip, she seemed to be waiting for them to crown her the winner...