A Colorado man's desperate attempt to recover his stolen truck took a shocking turn when he falsely claimed a young girl had been kidnapped, triggering an Amber Alert and sending law enforcement on a wild goose chase—only to discover the girl was never in danger.
34-year-old Daniel Reyes allegedly called police to report the theft of his white Ford F-250. He stated that his young cousin "Sandra", who was inside the vehicle at the time of the theft, had been kidnapped as well, causing Colorado Bureau of Investigation to issue an Amber Alert for the child.
Law enforcement conducted a thorough search of the 1100 block of Cypress Street only to find Reyes' car unoccupied, according to a news release from the Pueblo Police Department. The girl and the suspect were not found.
"The investigation quickly escalated and involved multiple jurisdictions and agencies," said the news release.
Four hours into their search for "Sandra", law enforcement discovered that the girl who had allegedly been kidnapped was actually home safe, and that she had no relation to Reyes. The Amber Alert for the child was then recalled.
Reyes was then was arrested on suspicion of attempting to influence a public servant, a Class 4 felony, according to KGNS.
"While working an armed, barricaded suspect incident on the north side of town, the men and women in dispatch and of our department, other responding agencies, and community members displayed the highest degree of teamwork, tenacity, and dedication to locate the reported kidnapping victim," said Pueblo Police Chief Chris Noeller in a news release.
"False reporting wastes countless hours of manpower and resources, not only in our community, but also in the surrounding areas limiting law enforcement's ability to respond to additional needs. Our department is thankful the juvenile was safe in this incident."
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