A Florida teen who falsely claimed he was shot and kidnapped by four Hispanic men was sentenced Monday to one year of house arrest.
The 17-year-old was arrested last month for his role in an “abduction hoax” first reported to authorities on Sept. 25, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. He was charged as a juvenile and pleaded “no contest” on Oct. 23.
Investigators responded to SW Highway 484 in Dunnellon, Marion County, after the boy’s family contacted authorities to report that they had received a frightening text message in which the teen said he had been abducted. Life360, the real-time tracking and safety app the family uses, showed that it was his last known location.
“I need help. Being shot at. 4 Hispanics armed, white van, one driver. I’m hit,” the text message read, according to local ABC affiliate WCJB.
Deputies rushed to the scene and found his truck, which had a bullet hole through the windshield and what appeared to be blood.
The teen’s “severely damaged cellphone” was also found at the scene, as well as bicycle tracks near the vehicle.
But according to authorities, that was all part of an elaborate hoax. An investigation later revealed that the boy “fired the shot through the windshield, splattered a mixture of blood in the truck, and destroyed his cell phone.”
He then hopped on a bike and fled the scene with camping supplies he had just purchased at a nearby Walmart shortly after texting his family, officials said.
After looking into his internet history, investigators found ChatGPT searches about “collecting his blood without causing pain” and “Mexican cartels,” the sheriff’s office said.
His alleged disappearance prompted state officials to issue an Amber Alert on Sept. 25, which was canceled the following day when he was located in neighboring Levy County.
Despite being found with a handgun and a bicycle in his possession, the boy attempted to continue the ruse, officials said, adding that his self-inflicted gunshot wound to the leg, which shattered his femur, required medical treatment.
He was arrested for presenting false evidence, making a false report of a crime and related weapons offenses, and was ultimately transported to the Department of Juvenile Justice.
On Monday, nearly four weeks after pleading “no contest,” the boy was sentenced to one year of house arrest, six months of which he will be required to wear electronic monitoring, WFTV9 reported.
He was also ordered to perform 100 hours of community service, take a firearm safety class, receive counseling, and pay about $25,000 in restitution.
Officials have not speculated on a possible motive.
