GLASGOW, Ky. — An 18-year-old Kentucky woman has been arrested and charged after police say she falsely reported being sexually assaulted inside a Walmart restroom, triggering an emergency response and criminal investigation.
According to court records and law enforcement reports, Autumn L. Tomlin of Munfordville was taken into custody by the Hart County Sheriff’s Office on a felony charge of falsely reporting an incident following the alleged February 4 incident at the Walmart Supercenter on Happy Valley Road in Glasgow.
Police say officers were dispatched to the store around 3:20 p.m. after employees reported finding a woman unconscious in a handicap stall in the women’s restroom. Responding officers observed visible injuries to her face and blood on bathroom surfaces. Tomlin reportedly told officers that an unknown man had forced her into the stall and sexually assaulted her.
Emergency medical personnel transported her to T.J. Samson Community Hospital, where medical staff conducted a sexual assault examination. She repeated her account of the alleged attack to medical personnel, investigators said.
As detectives continued their investigation, they reviewed surveillance footage from inside the store and analyzed evidence collected at the scene. Authorities said the digital evidence did not support her account of an assault inside the restroom.
During a follow-up interview on February 6, officers confronted Tomlin with surveillance findings. Investigators allege that she admitted she had not been assaulted and acknowledged that she inflicted injuries on herself by breaking her glasses and using them to cut her face.
Police also reported finding an open condom wrapper at the scene, which investigators later determined matched a brand from her residence and was not connected to any alleged encounter with another person.
Tomlin was arrested on a Class D felony charge of falsely reporting an incident under Kentucky law. She was booked into the Hart County Jail and later released pending further court proceedings. Her arraignment is scheduled for March 16 in Barren District Court.
The Glasgow Police Department stated that all reports of sexual assault are treated with seriousness and thoroughly investigated. Officials also emphasized that false reports can undermine public trust, divert emergency resources, and potentially impact genuine victims seeking justice.
Authorities encouraged the public to avoid spreading unverified information and reiterated their commitment to conducting fair and thorough investigations in all reported cases.