A 17-year-old from Florida, who concocted a story about being abducted by four Hispanic men and subsequently shot himself in the leg to perpetuate the falsehood, has entered a no contest plea to several charges against him.
Authorities charged Caden Speight as a juvenile with fabricating evidence, discharging a firearm into a vehicle, falsely reporting a crime, and illegal possession of a firearm by a minor, according to WFTV.
Prosecutors revealed they consented to the no contest plea, which allows the defendant to accept punishment as if guilty without a trial, while not formally admitting guilt, during an announcement on Thursday.
As reported by CrimeOnline, Speight texted his mother claiming abduction by four “possibly” Hispanic men in a light-colored truck. This triggered an Amber Alert and a search operation. Authorities later discovered his truck abandoned, with doors ajar and a single gunshot evidence.
However, investigators uncovered video footage of Speight purchasing a bicycle, tent, and camping supplies at a local Walmart before sending the alarming text to his mother.
“Caden simply rode off towards Williston, leaving the rest of us fearing the worst while my team worked tirelessly to resolve this case,” remarked Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods.
Speight continued the deceit when he was located, telling officers that he had been kidnapped and shot. But investigators say he deliberately shot himself in the leg to “continue the ruse” before he was found.
Speight’s parents initially refused to allow their delinquent son to speak with detectives.
The conditions of the plea deal prosecutors allowed are not known, WFTV said. He will be sentenced when paperwork is finished.
