Woman who made false claim of attack in Silver Creek park charged with 2 misdemeanors

A Doylestown woman who told Norton Police and Fire she was attacked at Silver Lake Metro Park July 28 was charged Tuesday with making a false report.

The woman claimed she had been splashed with a caustic substance by two young men and the substance had ignited on her clothing.

By Aug. 1, however, the story had fallen apart and Summit Metro Parks said it had been fabricated.

More: Woman fabricated story of attack at Silver Creek Park in Norton, park district says

The parks district and prosecutors from the Barberton Prosecutor's Office held discussions about the case before the district filed charges, a parks official said Tuesday.

Charges related to inducing panic, filing false report

The woman was charged with two first-degree misdemeanors, both involved with filing a false report to authorities and inducing panic.

"We had discussions and determined to file those two charges, feeling they were appropriate," said Michelle Banbury, a prosecutor in the Barberton Prosecutor's Office.

Once the woman is arraigned, a court date will be determined.

Silver Creek Metro Park incident sparked safety concerns

On the day of the incident, Summit Metro Park and Norton Police investigators had interviewed the woman after a bystander on the trail called police. In body camera footage, the woman frantically told officers the substance had caught fire.

She was taken to Akron Children's Hospital for treatment.

Online and in local media, the incident generated speculation about the attackers and concern for the woman and safety at the Norton park. A sample of her clothing with the substance was sent to the State Fire Marshal’s office for examination.

But on July 31, the woman admitted her injuries were self-inflicted and that no one else was involved in the incident.

In an Aug. 1 statement, the parks district in its statement expressed a hope that the woman would receive "the care and support she needs" and said people can call 988, the National Suicide and Crisis Hotline, to seek help coping with personal crises.

"We understand that this incident has caused significant fear for our park visitors," the district said in the Aug. 1 statement. "We hope that the conclusion and outcome of this case will reassure those who were wary of visiting the trails, as there is no public threat resulting from this false claim."

Leave a message for Alan Ashworth at 330-996-3859 or email him at aashworth@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @newsalanbeaconj or Facebook at www.facebook.com/alan.newsman.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Woman who made false claim of attack in Silver Creek park charged with 2 misdemeanors