Eagan, Minn., Nov. 24, 2024 – The report of a midday sexual assault on a popular Lebanon Hills hiking trail that sparked widespread fear was a hoax, according to police.
“Following an extensive investigation surrounding the reported sexual assault in Lebanon Hills Park on [Nov. 7] we’re able to report the assault never occurred, and we will be charging the reporting party with filing a false police report,” an Eagan Police spokesperson posted on the department’s Facebook page.
The assault report prompted fear among local residents and caused some to avoid the area when police announced the report on Nov. 8. It also prompted community criticism of police for failing to alert the public to another reported attack on the trail two months earlier, on Sept. 7.