EAGAN, Minn. — After carrying out an "extensive" investigation into an alleged sexual assault in a popular park, Eagan police revealed Monday that the report was fabricated.
Eagan police spokesman Sgt. Rich Evans says the party who reported the incident at Lebanon Hills Regional Park on Nov. 7 now admits the assault never took place and that her claims were false. The woman will be criminally charged with filing a false police report, Evans says.
The reported assault set off concern in the Eagan community, especially when residents learned of a previous incident that took place on Sept. 7. Sgt. Evans says a woman was walking the trails at Lebanon Hills when a man snuck up and grabbed her. She fell, and the suspect ran away.
Police are making solid progress in that case, Evans shared, following up on tips and using cell phone data from the park that day to narrow down a list of potential suspects.
"In an effort to promote public safety, we continue to ask the public to be aware of your surroundings, watch out for each other, and report suspicious people or vehicles," Sgt. Evans wrote in a press release sent out Tuesday. "While this case was found to be false, we are continuing to follow up on the September 7th incident."
Eagan Police are thanking residents for increased vigilance and patience while the probe into the Nov. 7 incident played out.