Teen Boy Fakes Own Kidnapping, Sends Pictures And Texts To Family Demanding Money

A 17-year-old boy in North Carolina allegedly faked his own kidnapping and sent text messages to his family members demanding money.

Winston-Salem police said 17-year-old Jair Junior Gasga-Espinoza was found safe Monday morning. His disappearance set off an Amber Alert that was canceled within an hour of issuing it after the teenager was found safe.

Cops received a call after 1 a.m. Monday from a family member about the teenager being kidnapped. He was last spotted at an apartment on North Martin Luther King Jr Drive in Winston-Salem before being reported missing.

Investigators were told that family members received pictures and text messages of the teenager being kidnapped. The messages also demanded money from the teenager’s family, threatening to kill the boy if they didn’t pay up.

Police now believe the teenager faked his own kidnapping, according to WFMY News 2.

“Not only is it unacceptable, it’s illegal,” Assistant Police Chief William Penn said Monday afternoon, according to WXII 12 News.

Penn said the call about the teenager’s disappearance was taken seriously and that the department diverted resources as well as spent 40 hours on the case.

The police determined the kidnapping was false and are carrying out investigations after finding the teenager in the 500 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

“A lot of folks got out of bed, a lot of officers on the street were pulled away from some of the other things they need to be doing to go to this fake call out,” Penn said, according to the outlet. “After such a deadly week, like last week, when our community needs more officers on the street doing what we do, this is a selfish act and it’s unacceptable.”

“Our resources need to be out here protecting,” Penn added. “Violent crime is our priority. We’re coming. We’re going to put everything into it and we don’t need these distractions.”

Penn stressed the severity of such false reports coming at a time when the police department is facing staffing challenges and other issues.

“The police department is not limitless in resources, whether in human resources or some of the technology we use. When you pull from those resources, it’s less for those, particular those, who really need those resources,” he further said.

Penn said the teenager may face possible charges but none were filed against him as of Monday afternoon.