Fall River stabbing victim facing charge after claiming she was injured at New Bedford feast; accused of misleading police

A local woman who was injured in a stabbing is facing a charge after police say she deliberately led police to use significant resources to investigate a fabricated story.

According to Deputy Chief Barden Castro, on Monday, at approximately 3:30 a.m., Fall River Police officers responded to Charlton Memorial Hospital to investigate a report of a 29-year-old female who had sustained a stab wound.  The injury was determined to be non-life threatening.

Officers initiated their investigation by interviewing the victim, who stated that she had been stabbed while attending the Madeira Feast in New Bedford.  Based on her account that the incident occurred within the City of New Bedford, the New Bedford Police Department was notified and assumed responsibility for the investigation.

During the course of its investigation, the New Bedford Police Department conducted several investigative steps, including a follow-up interview with the victim.  Based on the information developed, investigators determined that the stabbing had not occurred in New Bedford, but instead had taken place in Fall River, in the vicinity of Orange Street.  The investigation was subsequently referred back to the Fall River Police Department.

Fall River Police Major Crimes Detectives attempted to continue the investigation by following up with the victim. However, she has refused to cooperate with investigators.

Based on the facts and circumstances uncovered during the investigation, detectives determined that the victim knowingly provided false information to responding officers regarding the location of the crime.  As a result, significant investigative resources from both the Fall River and New Bedford Police Departments were expended pursuing a fabricated account of the incident.

As a result of the investigation, the Fall River Police Department has filed a criminal complaint in Fall River District Court charging the 29-year-old female with Intimidation of a Witness for knowingly misleading police in a manner that interfered with a criminal investigation.

Her name has not yet been released.