- Credibility:
WICKER PARK — A reported crime that horrified Wicker Park parents this week didn’t happen after all, police said.
Early Wednesday, police issued a community alert that said a 13-year-old girl was walking near Hirsch Street and Claremont Avenue in Wicker Park when she was kidnapped by a man and driven to the Humboldt Park lagoon, where she was sexually assaulted.
About 15 hours later, police said the claim was unfounded. Further details were not immediately available early Thursday.
The incident sparked fear among parents, students and staff of Jose De Diego Community Academy, 1313 N. Claremont Ave., near the scene of the reported crime. The school’s principal even drafted a letter to parents detailing safety protocols.
This story will be updated.
