Claim of Attempted Kidnapping in Solana Beach Was False, Authorities Say

An 8-year-old girl's claim that at a North County beach was fabricated, authorities said Tuesday.  

The girl told deputies a roughly 6-foot-1-inch man who appeared be in his late 20s tried to abduct her near the 500 block of South Sierra Avenue in Solana Beach about 3:30 p.m. Monday, according to sheriff's officials.

She claimed that the perpetrator was carrying a folding knife and a 3-to 4-foot-long skateboard, and had the words "I Will Kill" tattooed on his
knuckles.

Following interviews with people who were in the area at the time, investigators decided that the child had lied about the supposed crime, Detective John Buckley said.

"An eyewitness account of the time the girl was alleged to have been contacted by the (man) disproved the incident occurred," he said. "This, along with other information, has shown the report was falsified."  

Buckley did not say what might have prompted the girl to make up the story, which included intricate detail about the supposed perpetrator's appearance.