A teen girl who claimed she'd been sexually battered in Pembroke Pines, setting off a massive search for a suspect, fabricated the story, police said Thursday.
In a statement, Pembroke Pines Police officials said they made the determination after a thorough investigation by their Special Victims Unit which included extensive area canvasses, field interviews, forensic tests, and the review of several hours of surveillance footage.
"The 17-year-old female admitted to detectives that she fabricated the story. Investigators confirmed that there is no suspect at large regarding this incident, and there are no safety concerns for our community," the statement read. "Currently, our department’s focus is to provide services and resources to the juvenile and her family."
The teen had reported that she'd been sexually battered Sunday night in the 1400 block of S. Flamingo Road.
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She'd claimed she was walking along the roadway when a man approached her from behind, covered her mouth with his hands and pulled her into the bushes where he sexually battered her.
