A 10-year-old Odessa boy suspected of giving police a fake story this week about an attempted kidnapping was charged Friday with a single misdemeanor count of making a false report, a police spokesman said.
The boy whose name was not released because of his age was taken to the Ector County Youth Center on Friday following Thursday’s determination by the Odessa Police Department that no crime occurred in reference to the false attempted kidnapping report Wednesday. Residents were reassured no one was not harmed in any way, OPD spokesman Cpl. Steve LeSueur said.
Officers were sent at about 5:16 p.m. Wednesday to the 8800 block of Rainbow Drive about a report of a possible kidnapping involving the boy, who claimed someone entered his home and tried to abduct him but managed to escape.
Officials of Barbara Jordan Elementary School, where the boy attends, sent parents letters that counselors would be available to assist staff and students. Parents were also reassured “that we are doing everything we can to help our students be safe,” the letter read.
OPD detectives conducted what LeSueur said was a thorough and extensive investigation and found nothing to back up the boy’s claims. LeSueur said the boy’s motive would not be made public because of his age but said OPD detectives spent long hours trying to determine what happened during a two-day period.
“They worked around the clock on this one,” LeSueur said.
But the boy’s mother apparently took to Facebook and posted a public apology. The statement was shown during a broadcast on CBS7, which reported that the boy reportedly confessed to lying about the attempted kidnapping.
“I want to personally apologize to everyone,” she wrote. “My son did make all of it up, because we had grounded him yesterday for talking and not focusing on school … we’re in shock. He’s in a lot of trouble with us and we are handling it at home. Please forgive us.”
