Dec. 03--A woman who told authorities that she was attacked and stabbed while jogging in a Cook County forest preserve last weekend apparently gave false statements, and police said they now believe there was no attack.
"It appears that this story was fabricated. We are evaluating what, if any, actions we will take in response," said Sophia Ansari, spokeswoman for the Cook County Sheriff's office, which is handling the case.
The woman who made the report, a 33-year-old from Des Plaines, did have a stab wound to her abdomen, which was not life-threatening, police said. As of Monday, she remained hospitalized. Police have not identified her.
Authorities said the woman told them that she was jogging on a path in Deer Grove Forest Preserve in Palatine at about 4:15 p.m. on Saturday when a man ran up to her, stabbed her in the torso and then fled.
Police said she had given a detailed description of her purported assailant, who was said to be a bald Hispanic male with a black shirt and two piercings in his right ear.
The woman told authorities that she drove to a nearby home after the incident, where an ambulance was called. She was then taken to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge.
"She did have a stab wound. There was no other person involved," Ansari said. No weapon was found, police said.
No charges have been filed, although they could be forthcoming.
Officials did not have immediate estimates on police resources spent on the case.
