VANCOUVER, Wash. – Her face red and blotchy, the woman who splashed acid on her face and then claimed she was attacked made a brief court appearance Wednesday. She was ordered by a judge to live in a mental health facility while she awaits trial.

Bethany Storro, 28, has confessed that she made up the story about the facial burns she suffered Aug. 30, saying she put drain cleaner on her face in a bid to kill herself or alter her appearance, according to police. She pleaded not guilty Wednesday to three theft counts.

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Bethany Storro, who claimed that a stranger threw acid in her face but later said she did it herself, leaves court Wednesday in Vancouver, Wash. She has been charged with theft. The Associated Press

The case drew national attention to the recently divorced woman who works for a grocery chain, and brought in nearly $28,000 in donations to help with medical bills.

The donations are now at the center of Storro’s criminal trial, which is scheduled for Dec. 20. Court records show Storro spent about $1,500 of the donations on such things as dinners for her parents, clothes for herself and a bill for an August laser facial peel.

The accounts containing the donations have been frozen and her parents have said the money will be returned.

The hearing was the first time Storro had been in public since a hospital news conference Sept. 1 when her head was covered with bandages. Her face had large red blotches Wednesday, but was significantly less swollen than it was in her last public appearance.

Storro spoke two words during the brief court hearing, answering “yes” when Judge John Nichols asked her whether she understood the charges and whether she was pleading not guilty.

Storro was followed by cameramen and reporters after leaving the courtroom. She walked about 40 feet from the courthouse complex to a waiting car and didn’t respond to a barrage of questions from journalists.

Nichols ordered Storro to live at the Elahan Place mental health facility in Vancouver, Wash., until her trial.

A spokeswoman for Elahan Place described it as a 24-hour residential community. As a resident, Storro would be required to participate in therapy sessions and clean her room. The spokeswoman, Pat Stryker, declined to speak specifically about Storro’s case.

Storro was not asked to pay bail. According to the terms of her release, her travel is restricted to Clark County, Wash., and the Portland, Ore., metro area. She is also forbidden from drinking alcohol or possessing firearms.

Umpqua Bank, one of two banks that held fundraisers for Storro after the supposed attack, said Wednesday that it would return all donations to those who have receipts. A spokeswoman said the bank would donate the remainder of the funds to Legacy Emanuel Hospital’s Oregon Burn Center, where Storro recovered after burning herself.

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