Police Say Woman Lied About Attack

A local woman was arrested Tuesday night after she allegedly told police she was assaulted and robbed at the Mall at Rockingham Park and that turned out to be untrue.

Danielle Doucette, 21, of Salem, was charged with providing false reports to law enforcement. She was released on $500 cash bail pending arraignment in Salem District Court, police said.

At 6:08 p.m. on Tuesday police said they responded to the mall for the report of an assaulty and robbery. The alleged victim, Doucette, told police she was followed out of the mall into the parking lot by "two Hispanic males."

She told police they "grabbed her shirt, ripped it and knocked her to the ground" and allegedly stole $250. Doucette went to her boyfriend's house before reporting the attack to police.

Police reviewed security video and could not find the victim, the suspects or any evidence of the alleged attack.

Doucette then admitted to detectives interviewing her that the incident did not occur and she made the story up because she owed her boyfriend money, police said.

She was taken into custody without incident.