Chelsea Police Charge Woman for Fabricating an Attack and Robbery on Lynn Street Extension

Written and released by the Chelsea Police Department. Media should contact Captain Keith Houghton with questions.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monday, Jan. 18, 2016

Official Release # 16-04

AGENCY: Chelsea Police Department

Chief of Police: Brian A. Kyes

Location: 19 Park Street Chelsea, MA

For Further Info Contact: Captain Keith Houghton

617-466-4835

24-hr 617-828-5722

CHELSEA —  As was previously reported on Sunday, Jan. 17 just after midnight Chelsea Police Officers took an initial report from a female victim in her 20s at the Whidden Hospital in Everett who reported that while walking home from work at approximately 9:30 p.m. she had been physically attacked by three (3) male suspects who had allegedly beaten her with their fists, repeatedly kicked her and slashed her with a knife in the area of Lynn Street Extension between Central Avenue and Maverick Street.  This account has since received widespread media coverage.

In response to the victim’s account of the attack and out of an abundance of caution and concern for the safety of the residents of the city of Chelsea the Police Department alerted the community early the next morning via a widely disseminated press release that three young male attackers may be living or staying in the area.  The Police felt compelled and obligated to warn the residents of Chelsea to take general safety measures, to remain vigilant and keep themselves safe and secure in their travels in and around the city.

As part of any serious criminal investigation it is always the duty and responsibility of any police department to fully and completely corroborate any victim and/or witness account(s) of what they allege had transpired in a given situation.  As Detectives began the process of conducting a comprehensive follow up investigation of the victim’s version of the incident in question police uncovered several inconsistencies in terms of the physical and digital evidence that they had available.  This trend continued throughout the investigation yesterday and all day today.

As a result police were able to learn a short time ago that in fact no attack took place involving this victim at the aforementioned location.  Rather Detectives have since learned and confirmed that a fight occurred inside of an undisclosed address between several male parties.  The alleged victim was present with this group and had intervened in an attempt to break up the fight and in doing so received a laceration to her hand from a broken bottle requiring several stitches and some additional bruises and scrapes about her person.

As a result of providing the police with this fabricated report of a crime mentioned above, misleading the police throughout the entire investigation, spreading significant fear throughout the city as well as expending considerable resources by the police in an attempt to find those responsible for what was believed to be a serious act of violence, Denissa Perez (25) of Chelsea, shall be charged with Misleading a Police Officer in a Criminal Investigation under M.G.L. Chapter 268 §13B.  She will appear in Chelsea District Court later this month to be arraigned on this and perhaps additional charges stemming from this investigation.

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