A 17-year-old from Florida faces a slew of charges after allegedly faking his own abduction at the hands of âfour Hispanic menâ and shooting himself in the leg to make it look real.
The alleged elaborate scheme caught up with Caden Speight after he was was arrested Tuesday and charged with making false report of a crime, presenting false evidence, firing a gun into a conveyance, and having a firearm as a minor, according to the Marion County Sheriffâs Office.
The teen sparked concern for his safety after disappearing in Dunnellon, north of Tampa, on September 25, and leaving behind his truck, which had a bullet hole in the windshield.
Investigators discovered Speightâs damaged cellphone, drag marks, bicycle tracks, and suspected blood near his truck.
Authorities initially believed he had been abducted by âfour Hispanic menâ in a light-colored van based on frantic texts to family, which police have since determined were entirely false.
The teen text his family saying: âI need help. Being shot at. 4 Hispanics armed, white van, one driver. Iâm hit,â according to WILX10.
Speightâs disappearance triggered a massive manhunt using a âvast amountâ of resources, including a helicopter and and the issuing of an AMBER alert, the sheriffâs office said.
Speight then fled the scene on a bicycle with camping equipment he had purchased from a Walmart just before the incident, police say. An eyewitness also told cops they saw the high schooler leaving the scene on his bike.
A review of Speightâs ChatGPT searches on his laptop revealed that he asked inquiries about âcollecting his blood without causing painâ and âMexican cartels.â He had also previously mentioned running away before, authorities say.
He was eventually located on September 28, roughly 25 miles from where he was reported missing.
He was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his leg, which shattered his femur, as well as a handgun and his bike.
âThe initial details that Caden texted to his family were proven to be false. Completely made up,â the sheriffâs office added. âWe did find evidence of a single gunshot where Caden left his truck. However, his claims that he had been shot and abducted were quickly disproven.â
Speight did not admit to staging the hoax but, after the investigation, authorities issued an arrest warrant, and he is now in the Department of Juvenile Justice.
Speight appeared in court Wednesday on crutches. His family and attorneys argued over whether he should remain in juvenile detention or be released to his parents.
Despite having no prior history of trouble, the state expressed concerns about both community safety and Speightâs own well-being, according to Fox 35 Orlando. His father testified that all weapons at home are securely locked away.
The teenâs lawyers requested release so Speight could receive better medical care for his self-inflicted leg injury, including stitches, non-weight-bearing status, and nutritional support after a 20-pound weight loss.
The judge ultimately ruled that Speight will remain in juvenile detention as detention center nurses could manage his care.
Speightâs next hearing is scheduled for October 23.
