Woman's report of Grant Park robbery, stabbing was 'unfounded': police

CHICAGO (SUN TIMES MEDIA WIRE) - Police are now saying a woman’s report of being robbed and stabbed Wednesday night in Grant Park was “unfounded.”

Initially, the 23-year-old woman had told police she was stabbed Wednesday night after encountering a robber at Grant Park, according to a police report.

Chicago Police Department spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a tweet Thursday afternoon that the incident didn’t occur as previously stated.

“Based on a review of video evidence, this incident is now determined to be unfounded and it did not occur as it was reported to police,” he wrote.

A police source would not elaborate specifically on how the woman’s report differed from video evidence, but said “she wasn’t attacked like she said she was.” The source added that police are conferring with prosecutors as to whether they will file false report charges.

The woman initially told investigators she was heading east at 9:50 p.m. in the first block of East Ida B. Wells Drive when a man walked over and demanded money, police said. She said the man stabbed her three times in the abdomen and ran off with her credit card after she said she wasn’t carrying cash.

Police initially said the 23-year-old stumbled into a convenience store in the 500 block of South State to seek help. She was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital with three puncture wounds to the lower abdomen.

Area Central detectives are investigating.