2 Simi Teens Admit Lying to Police

Two teenage girls who told Simi Valley police they were abducted by men and sexually assaulted on separate days this week admitted they made up the stories, one for attention and the other to avoid punishment for poor grades, authorities said Friday.

Both girls were arrested on suspicion of filing a false police report and released to their parents, police said.

On Wednesday, a 14-year-old student at Sinaloa Junior High School told officers she had been kidnapped that evening while walking down Los Angeles Avenue, police said. She told officers that a van had slowed beside her, and a male passenger opened the door and asked if she wanted a ride.

She said she refused and continued walking, but the man grabbed her and forced her inside, police said. She said she was sexually assaulted for up to 90 minutes while another man drove the van.

During the investigation, the girl told detectives that she had concocted the report because she was afraid of being punished by her parents for poor grades, according to Sgt. Randy Foushee of the Simi Valley Police Department.

On Thursday, a 15-year-old student at Royal High School told police she had been abducted on campus at noon by two men wearing ski masks. They took her to the athletic field, where they sexually assaulted her, she told police.

Detectives said there were several discrepancies in her story, and she said she fabricated the incident because she was seeking attention from her boyfriend.