————-
LAFAYETTE, Ind. – A woman lied about a February incident in which she claimed she’d been abducted and sexually assaulted in a wooded area, police say.
The Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 5500 block of State Road 26 E. in Lafayette on Feb. 19. A woman said she’d been bound by a man and held against her will.
But investigators said the story didn’t add up.
Multiple agencies searched the area with drones and K9 officers in an effort to locate the suspect. They didn’t find anyone.
Detectives from the sheriff’s office worked with the Lafayette Police Department to investigate the case. They used cellphone data, witness statements and surveillance video to determine the incident didn’t happen as reported.
Investigators interviewed the woman again.
“In a subsequent follow-up interview with the female, it was confirmed that the incident did not happen, and a false report was confirmed,” according to a statement from the sheriff’s office.
Investigators have forwarded the information to the Tippecanoe County Prosecutor’s Office for review.
