Frustrating and thoughtless is how San Antonio Police Chief William McManus describes a recent alleged attack that turns out to have never happened.
The woman claimed to have been assaulted Jan. 17 on the trails at the Leon Creek Greenway by a man with a neck tattoo wearing a ski mask. But according to Police Chief William McManus, detectives had information that led them to believe the attack never happened, and they quickly discovered the alleged victim in the case made the whole thing up.
"You know, our final interview, our last interview, with the person, she finally admitted that it was staged and their there was no attack," he said Wednesday.
The case sparked concern and widespread fear in the community because it came on the heels of another attack in late December. 24-year-old Lauren Bump was out for a jog on New Year's Eve at O.P. Schnabel Park when she was stabbed to death. Police later arrested 29-year-old Christian Ivan Bautista for her murder.
McManus said crime is actually down at city parks, but encourages everyone to always be on alert.
"I don't think that you can walk around anywhere with blinders on, but you need to use reasonable, everyday precautions," McManus said.
Because she was reluctant to talk, police said they would not charge the woman in this case if she told the truth. McManus wanted to be able to tell the public about the false report as soon as possible to calm fears. The motive for the fake attack report, McManus said, was because of a relationship issue the woman was having with a significant other.
