Although a Mifflinburg man was reported to have been stabbed three times in downtown State College Friday night, police are now saying the incident occurred elsewhere.
"The investigation has revealed new circumstances indicating the alleged victim was stabbed, but not in downtown State College or even Centre County," according to a State College Police news release.
Police could not provide any other details about the incident but said in the news release, they can "assure the public the new investigative leads conclude there is no public safety risk and there is no one responsible for the stabbing in the State College area."
Police said another out-of-county police agency, which they would not name, is involved in the investigation.
Pennsylvania State Police at Selinsgrove, who oversee the Mifflinburg area, said they have no information about the incident.
It was initially reported Saturday that the man and his wife said they arrived in State College at about 11:15 p.m. Friday to help a friend who had vehicle trouble and needed assistance in a downtown parking lot, police said.
Police said the man told them he later exited his vehicle in the area of the 400 block of East College Avenue and was attacked somewhere between the 400 block of East College Avenue and the intersection of East Beaver Avenue and Locust Lane. The man said he was walking when he was hit in the head and stabbed three times, police said.
Police said the man told them he waved down his wife, who drove him to Mount Nittany Medical Center.
At the time of the assault, the man was wearing an Ohio State ball cap, a red hooded Ohio State sweatshirt, shorts, sandals and eyeglasses, police said in the Saturday news release. Police said the man is currently missing several of those items.
The man could not provide a suspect description and could not determine if there was more than one suspect, but he said he was not involved in any confrontations before the attack, police said Saturday.
The man was transported to Altoona Hospital because of the extent of his injuries and was scheduled for surgery Saturday, police said. Because police have not released the victim's name, Altoona Hospital could not comment on his condition.
Deputy John Aston with the State College Police Department said receiving false information doesn't "happen frequently, but it happens."
Aston said a few years ago a store clerk reported he had been held up and stabbed by an assailant while working. The police later learned, from a security camera recording, the clerk was lying and had stabbed himself because he was having personal and job trouble, Aston said.
Aston said the circumstances for this current case are unlike others, though.
