Through mass texts, e-mails, phone calls and voicemail messages, the Otterbein community was notified of an assault reported by a student.
Three days later, another notification was sent claiming the crime did not occur.
The police report said that the student was loading her books into her car in the Courtright Memorial Library parking lot, when she felt someone grab her wrist and cut her arm with "an object that felt like a knife." After visiting her boyfriend in Ada, Ohio, they filed a report with Otterbein Security and WPD when her boyfriend asked about her cut.
Around 7:30 p.m., the Otterbein community was alerted of the reported assault.
Some students, like senior English education major Meagan Gimbrone, think the messages are incessant.
She was sent a notification through a phone message and an e-mail. "I think it's kind of redundant. If they call a phone and there's no answer, they leave a voicemail then call again. Then there are the text messages and e-mails. It's kind of overkill," Gimbrone said.
According to the director of Security, Larry Banaszak, colleges are required by federal law to notify the community about a possible suspect that hasn't been attained.
"We assume that there is a crime, and it's necessary to alert the public," Banaszak said.
"I understand they have to let people know, but at the same time, they could not call. If we're in class, it's not like we can answer," Gimbrone said. "They did take the proper steps, so people will probably feel encouraged (to report similar incidents in the future)."
During an interview between the Westerville Police Department (WPD) and the woman who filed the report, she admitted that the incident didn't occur at all, according to the police report.
Chief of Police for WPD Joseph Morbitzer, said the officers "started to notice discrepancies in her story."
According to the police report, the female student started retracting statements of where the incident occurred, and then admitted that it didn't happen at all.
"In situations like this, we try to make sure people get the help they need. We work behind the scenes to assist them. That doesn't alleviate their actions, and they are still held accountable, but we try to help them," Morbitzer said.
According to Morbitzer, she could be facing felony or misdemeanor charges, which could lead to fines, jail time or extended jail time, but any ruling will take place in court.
Morbitzer also said that false reports are infrequent.
"What happens when you falsify a report is you're taking up one or more officer's time. They're dedicating their time to the report, removing them from the streets and taking them out of serving the public," Morbitzer said. t&c;
