In brief: Girl admits lying about gang attack
A 16-year-old girl who told Spokane police she was attacked by rival gang members earlier this week apparently made the whole story up, officials said Thursday.
The teen actually fell out of a second-floor window, police said. She had stayed the night at a halfway house with a man and was trying to sneak out.
The two-story fall broke the girl’s pelvis in two places and fractured her spine, said Spokane police spokesman Cpl. Tom Lee.
The girl originally told police two rival gang members assaulted her, one with a baseball bat, in the 200 block of West Sprague Avenue about 1 p.m. Monday, Lee said. The teen even gave police the nicknames of two rival gang members who supposedly beat her up.
Police charged her Thursday with filing a false police report, Lee said.
Meeting to cover University District
Public-private planning to develop a University District for higher education and related businesses will be the subject of a progress meeting 3 p.m. Tuesday at WSU Spokane’s South Campus Facility Court, 412 E. Spokane Falls Blvd.
The update is being sponsored by the city of Spokane, Washington State University, Eastern Washington University, Downtown Spokane Partnership and Spokane Regional Chamber of Commerce.
City officials said the University District has already attracted a larger number of academic facilities, and the area is seeing an increase in new businesses that cater to a growing student population. Business officials said they want to promote the district as a good location for investment.
Police seek tips in man’s stabbing
A 21-year-old man was stabbed several times after leaving a downtown Coeur d’Alene bikini bar early Thursday morning.
Nestor Cubillas-Ronquillo initially said he was attacked by two men who were looking for cocaine, but Coeur d’Alene police Sgt. Christie Wood said the victim had been drinking and police haven’t been able to get a description of the attackers.
Cubillas-Ronquillo, who was in fair condition at Kootenai Medical Center, was at the Torch Lounge before the attack.
According to police reports, Cubillas-Ronquillo was attacked around 1 a.m. in an alley in the 200 block between Lakeside and Coeur d’Alene avenues.
Anyone who was in the area at the time of the crime or has information on the crime is asked to call police at (208) 769-2320 or the Tip Line at (208) 769-2296.