A University of South Florida student who claimed that she had been robbed on the Tampa campus earlier this week - one of two crimes she alleges happened to her recently - has been arrested for filing a false police report.
USF Police Chief Chris Daniel says Fatou Gueye, 19, told authorities two white men in their early 20's approached her while she was walking from the MLK Plaza area near the Interdisciplinary Science Building around 9 p.m. Tuesday. She said the two talked to her before taking her backpack from her. She also said her necklace fell to the ground when that happened. However, police said all of her property was recovered at the scene.
After further investigation, including multiple conversations with Gueye, Daniel says Gueye confessed she made the claim up. She was arrested Wednesday night and released from the Hillsborough County Jail early Thursday morning on $500 bond.
He adds that Gueye told officers why she made the claim up. However, he can't disclose the reason right now because Gueye is among a group of USF students who say they received threatening messages inside their residence hall rooms last week related to the presidential election. Those threats remain under investigation.
Gueye was charged with one count of filing a false police report. That's a misdemeanor, punishable with up to a year in prison.
