Authorities in Lafayette, La., said a female student made a false police report on Wednesday alleging that she was assaulted and robbed by two men, in what was initially labeled a hate crime, near the campus of the University of Louisiana-Lafayette. The 18-year-old woman will likely face a charge of filing a false report, officials said. Photo courtesy University of Louisiana at Lafayette

LAFAYETTE, La., Nov. 11 (UPI) -- A Muslim college student at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette has admitted to making up her story about being assaulted and robbed by two men near campus this week, which was investigated as a politically motivated hate crime.

Lafayette police now say the woman made a false police report and will likely face a charge herself.


The unnamed 18-year-old woman told authorities Wednesday that she was knocked to the ground with something metal and verbally assaulted with obscenities before the attackers made off with her wallet and Islamic headscarf, or hijab.

Investigators immediately looked into the student's story, which quickly was picked up by the national news media and caught fire on social media due to a purported connection to Donald Trump's election.

College police turned the investigation over to the Lafayette Police Department because the bogus incident was reported off-campus.

Authorities across the United States are investigating similar reports.