Syracuse police say Bobby Loper Jr., 16, is facing a misdemeanor charge after faking his own abduction. Loper is charged with falsely reporting an incident, which is a misdemeanor.
Police say on Thursday, Loper sent text messages to friends and family members alleging he had been abducted and was in trouble. The family called police for help, and the department launched an intense investigation and search for Loper.
He was found about 8 hours later at a relative's house in Syracuse. Police say they found out Loper sent the false texts himself. They say a large amount of police resources were wasted, and the public was put at risk because police services were diverted from other areas of the city and other investigations to work on this case, which turned out to be a hoax.
Loper was issued an appearance ticket and ordered to appear in Syracuse City Court at a later date.
