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She Said She Was Lured To A Wooded Area And Raped. Police Determined It Didn’t Happen.

   DailyWire.com
Drone footage of woman in yellow raincoat in wet forest - stock photo
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A woman who claimed last month that she had been lured into a wooded area of East Lake Community Park in Lakeville, Minnesota, may be facing charges for lying, after police “put in hundreds of hours investigating the case.”

Local outlet Bring Me The News reported that police began investigating the woman’s claims on March 27, seeking help from the public in a Facebook post. Police asked the public to help locate the “suspect of a violent assault,” describing the accuser as a “female victim in her 40s” who said she was “lured to a secluded area of the park by a male who said that he needed help with someone who had fallen.”

“The victim went to help when she was attacked by the suspect. The victim was able to get free from the attacker and ran from the area to get assistance. The victim was taken to Ridges Hospital to be evaluated for her injuries,” police said at the time, adding a description of the male suspect as “wearing a black stocking cap and a black COVID-style face mask” with sunglasses, a black jacket, and black leather gloves.

In an update on April 20, police announced that after “an exhaustive investigation, it has been determined there is no threat to the community in the East Lake Park area at this time,” adding that the Lakeville Police Department “put in hundreds of hours investigating the case, including a neighborhood canvas, an extensive search of the park, following up on numerous tips, and executing several search warrants.” Despite the exhaustive investigation, police determined the assault did not take place and are now referring the case to the Dakota County attorney’s office for potential prosecution, according to the Pioneer Press.

Police Lt. Bill Gerl told the outlet Friday that police had “nothing to support what we were told that day.”

In their Facebook post, the LPD added tips for remaining safe, even though this case was a false accusation.

“While we’re fortunate to live in a largely safe community, we want to remind everyone to always use good safety habits. These include knowing your surroundings, walking with friends after dark, and letting others know when you expect to arrive home,” the police department said.

The LPD added that the “lengths Lakeville Police took to investigate the reported crime should give confidence to any victims that we always hear their voices, and we will always investigate the reported crime to the fullest.”

This is the latest accusation of rape to be determined false in recent weeks. As The Daily Wire reported Saturday, police in Michigan announced that the woman who made the false claims would be charged with one count of false report of a felony: criminal sexual conduct and kidnapping.

The woman claimed she was kidnapped in Lansing, Michigan, on March 26. She said the man held her at gunpoint and took her to Elmira where he sexually assaulted her. She claimed she was able to escape using a letter opener. After mounting a search for the alleged suspect, collective evidence, and following leads in two cities, police determined the woman made up the claims.

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