Florida officials have charged a 17-year-old who was the subject of a statewide AMBER Alert last month with faking his abduction.
The teen, who the Orlando Sentinel is not naming because he is a minor, has been charged with presenting false evidence, making a false report of a crime, possession of a firearm by a minor and shooting into a conveyance, according to a press release sent Tuesday from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
The charges stem from an incident on Sept. 25, when the teen texted his family that he’d been shot after being abducted by four men.
Deputies drove to the teen’s last known location and found his truck, but not the teen.
Law enforcement agencies catalogued evidence from the scene, including a bullet hole through the windshield of his truck, a severely damaged cellphone, drag marks in the dirt and bicycle tracks leading away from the vehicle.
Deputies said more investigation of the incident revealed the teen had staged the scene.
A witness also told officials they saw him leaving the area on his bike, according to the press release.
Detectives eventually learned the teen had previously mentioned running away and found ChatGPT searches on his laptop about how to collect blood without causing pain and Mexican cartels.
They also found the teen with a handgun and the bike still in his possession.
He was placed under arrest and transported to the Department of Juvenile Justice.
Originally Published: October 15, 2025 at 10:43 AM EDT