A 17-year-old Florida teen who sparked an AMBER Alert by allegedly faking his own kidnapping has been charged.
According to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, MCSO Major Crimes detectives secure an arrest warrant for Caden Speight on Thursday.
The charges he is facing encompass filing a bogus report, fabricating evidence, discharging a firearm into a conveyor, illegal firearm possession as a minor, and making a fraudulent crime report.
Last month, as reported by CrimeOnline, an AMBER Alert was issued by authorities after Speight’s parents got a message claiming he had been kidnapped by four men in a light-colored van.
Upon discovering Speight’s abandoned vehicle with doors ajar and evidence of a gunshot, police launched an extensive operation including aerial, ground, and mounted search units.
Investigators later said that the information and evidence collected were “unsupportive of the initially reported facts.”
Speight allegedly bought a bicycle, tent, and camping supplies at Walmart, and then reported that he had been abducted.
“Caden simply pedaled away toward Williston as we feared the worst and my team tirelessly pursued the case,” stated Sheriff Billy Woods of Marion County.
On September 26, Speight was found at 727 W Noble Avenue. Despite having both a bike and a gun, he continued insisting he had been kidnapped, the police reported.
According to MCSO, Speight tried perpetuating the deception with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, fracturing his femur and necessitating medical attention.
MCSO, during a media statement, said that Speight “fired the shot through the windshield, splattered a mixture of blood in the truck, and destroyed his cellphone.”
A witness told investigators that they spotted Speight leaving the area on a bicycle.
While searching his laptop, investigators reportedly uncovered incriminating queries, such as “collecting his blood without causing pain. They also learned that Speight has referenced running away before.
“At the conclusion of our investigation, a warrant was obtained for Speight’s arrest. He was ultimately placed under arrest and transported to the Department of Juvenile Justice,” MCSO said.
[Feature Photo via Marion County Sheriff’s Office]
