Boy with bad report card makes up kidnapping story

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Gabriel Falcon
AC360° Writer

A child who claimed he was kidnapped on Friday confessed to making up the story to avoid telling his family about a lousy report card, authorities in Alabama said Monday.

The 11-year-old boy will not face any charges, said Sgt. Mark Roberts of the Huntsville Police Department. “I just hope children don’t do this too often because it does put us through quite a lot of man power,” Roberts told CNN. “We gave (the investigation) the whole 9 yards.”

Roberts said the child, whose name he did not reveal, came up with the elaborate abduction scenario Friday afternoon. “The kid was coming home from school when he was supposedly kidnapped by a guy driving by in a red car,” Roberts explained. “He basically said a white male driving a red beat-up car grabbed him and forced him in the vehicle. He saw a black revolver. The driver said I’m going to take you somewhere and kill you.”

According to the police, the boy said he then jumped out of the car and ran back to his grandparents’ house. The family contacted the police who began an intensive manhunt for the suspect. Authorities also issued a B.O.L.O. (be on the look out).

But after interviewing the boy, investigators became wary of his story. Roberts said the boy claimed he couldn’t get his schoolbag from the car, yet he was able to retrieve a musical instrument from the vehicle.

Their suspicions were confirmed on Monday when the child’s grandfather called police and said his grandson confessed to lying about the stranger abduction.

Why would he make it all up?

“He got a bad report card,” Sgt. Roberts told CNN. “And he couldn’t figure out anyway to say his book bag was lost or stolen.” By concocting the kidnapping narrative, the boy “wouldn’t have to fess up to his bad report card.”

“His grandfather called and said he (his grandson) was sorry for everything that happened, “Roberts added. “I think when the investigator went out and talked to him, he was real apologetic.”

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