Teen Accused in Mauldin Assault Hoax in Custody, Now Charged

The 16-year-old girl police say made up the story about being attacked in a Greenville County park was formally charged Thursday.

The teen, Pearl Brown, was taken into custody Thursday afternoon. She is being charged as a juvenile in the crime.

Normally the name of juvenille suspects aren't released. However, police have gone public with her name when she stepped forward and confessed.

Brown is charged with unlawful use of 911 and filing a false police report. She claimed she was attacked in Mauldin at Sunset Park on New Years Day.

Officials did start an investigation after Brown told them about the attack.

Tuesday, police say Brown confessed that she lied about the attack and even faked the 911 call.

Brown is being charged at the Juvenile Justice center in Greenville and will have a hearing before a family court judge Monday.

**Wednesday, January 6, 2010 12:50 p.m. Update**
Girl's Father Says Daughter "Doesn't Know Why" She Made Up Attack Story

The father of a 16-year old girl police say fabricated a story about being attacked at a local park says she cannot explain why she staged the crime.

"I have asked her that question until I am blue in the face," Eric Fitzpatrick told News Channel 7 on Wednesday. "She just keeps saying she doesn't know why she did it."

Mauldin Police say Pearl Brown called 911 on Friday, pretending to be a man who she claimed attacked her at Sunset Park. Police say she inflicted injuries to her face to support the story. Police say on Tuesday, Brown admitted to making up the attack. Her father says he and his wife were just as shocked as everyone else.

"We believed her, just like the police did," said Fitzpatrick. "She has never done anything like this before. It's very saddening."

"I apologize to the public and the police for what she did," said Fitzpatrick. "I have told her what she did is wrong and now she's going to have to accept the consequences."

Mauldin Police Detective Brian Wright says criminal charges will be filed against Brown but he is not sure when that will happen. He says if they find that other people were involved in the hoax, they may be charged as well.

Fitzpatrick says he and his wife are trying to get their daughter professional counseling now.

"All we can do is stand by her side," said her father. "We are not going to give up on her."

**Tuesday, January 5, 2010 11:00 p.m.**
A Mauldn teenager is now facing serious charges, after police says she staged her own attack, and then lied about it. Mauldin investigators say 16 year old Pearl Brown confessed Tuesday. "We did what we were supposed to do, talked to suspects, and it all kept pointing back to her," says Detective Brian Wright.

Brown told police a stranger came up behind her at Sunset Park on New Year's Day. In an interview with Newschannel 7, she claimed she had seen her attacker before. "He told me pretty girls shouldn't cry," Brown said. "I told him I felt uncomfortable and I was going to leave." Brown never left, and police later found her unconscious. Now, they say she made up the whole story, even injuring herself to make it look real. "The way it happened, the way the crime scene was, it just didn't make any sense to me at all," says Wright.

According to investigators, Brown claims she did it because of a dare from other teens. They say she was the one who called 911 from her cell phone, not the alleged attacker. The call sounded frantic.
911: Greenville County 911. Hello?
Caller: I think I just killed a girl.
911: Excuse me?
Caller: She's in Sunset Park.
911: Sunset Park? What happened?
Caller: She, she wouldn't let me touch her. I just thought she was pretty.

Now, instead of putting a suspect behind bars, Brown is the one facing serious jail time. Wright believes she may have just staged the attack for attention. "With all the manpower we used for this and all the active investigations we've got going on right now, to be used as an attention getter, that's very frustrating to law enforcement." After listening to the tall tale, he says the real lesson is for teens. "Do not cry wolf," he says. "It will catch up to you."

As of yet, Brown has still not officially been charged. Police say more arrests could be made, if they discover other teens were involved in the hoax.

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