Cops: Girl Lied About Being Thrown Into Clinton River By 'Drunk Man'

MOUNT CLEMENS (CBS Detroit) Remember the harrowing story of the young girl randomly tossed by a strange man off a boardwalk and into the Clinton River?

She appeared to be traumatized, and the cops quickly arrested a suspect who was described as the drunk man who threw her over.

But it wasn't true.

The Macomb County Sheriff's Department said Friday that since the family filed the report, their office had made numerous attempts to contact the family to clarify information in the original report.

"The mother (of the girl) has been uncooperative with the Sheriff's Office," the department said.

Unable to get more details or corroborate the girl's story, detectives interviewed an independent witness and said they learned he girl and the step-brother lied to deputies who initially investigated the incident.

On June 30th, the family was re-interviewed and it was revealed that the incident did not occur as it was reported. According to new information, the girl was swimming in the river when Frank Smoger, the arrested man, fell into the river and accidentally hit the girl.

The girl lost an earring and she was angry. She and her 14 year-old step-brother then fabricated the story about her being thrown into the river, police said.

And there's more: When the original report was filed, the girl reported to deputies that she was 13 years old. In actuality, she is 9 years old.

The Macomb County Sheriff's Office has provided the new information to the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office. "The sheriff's office will seek that the felonious assault charges against Frank Smoger be dismissed," the department said in a press release.

Furthermore, the sheriff's office is seeking petitions against the two juveniles for filing a false felony report.

Frank Smoger is still in jail, but for charges unrelated to this incident.