A Florida teen has been accused of faking his own kidnapping and shooting himself in the leg to cover his tracks.
Police launched an urgent search, involving helicopters, for 17-year-old Caden Speight on September 25, believing him to be the victim of a shooting.
When the teen apparently vanished, his mother told police that she received a text from him which alleged that four Hispanic men had shot him before bundling him into a white van and driving away.
Before he vanished, local reports indicate that he was seen wearing a red “MAGA” hat.
Cops located his car near Marion County Airport, 80 miles from Orlando, and issued an Amber Alert to find the teen.
The teenager was later found “alive and well” on September 26.
However, Billy Woods, the Marion County Sheriff, now claims that the crime was an elaborate “hoax” devised by Speight.
In a social media video, Woods conceded that there were “red flags” early on in the case.
According to him, Speight “simply rode away towards Williston while the rest of us were left to think the worst, and my team was working in overdrive to solve this case.”
“To continue the ruse, Caden, who had a handgun with him since the beginning of all of this, chose to shoot himself in the leg.
“There is zero chance that Caden’s gunshot wound came from any type of assailant,” he added.
An investigation involving local, state, and federal agencies found that Speight purchased a bicycle, a tent, and camping supplies before disappearing.
According to the sheriff, witnesses have disputed Speight’s version of events, and police found evidence of a single gunshot near his car.
“Many of you have asked, ‘Will Caden be facing any charges?’
“‘What about the taxpayer cost of this large-scale investigation and search?’
“I can tell you those items are not off the table at this point,” the sheriff added.
The search for Speight was a colossal undertaking by law enforcement, which involved a helicopter, according to The Ocala StarBanner.
The Uvalde Foundation for Kids also offered a $5,000 reward for anyone who found Speight and sent out representatives to search for him, according to Local 10.
Even Speight’s sister took to social media in a since-deleted post, urging her brother to come home.
“God I just want him home.
“I can’t sleep, eat or do anything not knowing where he is and if he is safe.
“Please don’t stop searching or looking.
“There is still little to no information on what happened or where he could be.
“I don’t understand why this has happened. Just bring him home,” she wrote.
