Placentia Woman Fabricated Tale of Being Raped by Athletes, Police Say

A 22-year-old Placentia woman who claimed she was raped by two Anaheim Bullfrog players now faces charges of filing a false report and a possible civil suit by the city seeking to recover the costs of the police investigation.

Heather Caldwell was released this week on $2,500 bail after her arrest at an Anaheim sports bar where she works as a waitress, according to court records and police.

Caldwell called police at 4:25 a.m. May 25 to report that two players on the Anaheim professional roller hockey team had just raped her in a motel room while a third player held her down, according to Anaheim Police Sgt. Bob Conklin.

Nineteen investigators and officers descended on the hotel to interview seven players and collect evidence, while Caldwell was taken to Martin Luther Hospital in Anaheim and put in touch with rape counselors, Conklin said.

But, as the Sunday afternoon wore on, contradictions and lapses cropped up in Caldwell’s story, police said. By nightfall, she admitted she had concocted the entire account and had not even been to the hotel, Conklin said.

“We don’t know why she did it,” Conklin said. “This put the players through a lot, wasted our time and caused a lot of pain. And more than anyone else, it hurts true sexual assault victims.”

Conklin said the city attorney plans to file a civil suit seeking $5,000 to recoup the basic staffing costs of the investigation, which included the 19 sworn officers called in on the Sunday morning and the later assistance of a data processing employee.

The three players named by Caldwell were not identified by police, and Caldwell herself could not be reached Thursday for comment.

Maury Silver, owner of the Bullfrogs, said Thursday that the shock of Caldwell’s claims and the anger over her eventual recantation had been hard on a franchise that promotes itself as family-oriented entertainment.

“We’re not the Dallas Cowboys here, for God’s sake,” said Silver, whose Bullfrogs post the highest attendance in the 5-year-old Roller Hockey International. “We are clean. But this leaves a bad taste in people’s mouths, even when you are clean.”

Silver also declined to name the players who were accused by Caldwell.

The owner did say that two of the players are married men who were not even at the hotel where other players were staying while the team prepared for its season debut June 1.

“I don’t know where she got their names,” Silver said. “She dug her own grave with the stuff she said. It was just a matter of time.”