Girl made up story about attempted abduction, Richland County sheriff says
A Columbia girl made up a story about a masked man trying to abduct her, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department said Wednesday.
There was no masked man, and there was no white van, the sheriff’s department said in a news release.
What actually happened was the 14-year-old met with another person, then created a fake story about escaping an attempted abduction to avoid getting in trouble with her parents, according to the release.
The teenager concocted the story on Feb. 26 when she and her mother told deputies they saw a white van speeding away from their Heron Glen Drive home after the reported failed abduction, the sheriff’s department said.
A search was launched to find the accused abductors and their vehicle, but nothing ever turned up, according to the release.
On March 2, the sheriff’s department appealed to the public for help finding the people responsible.
According to the teen’s account, she let her dog out the back door when she was grabbed “from behind by her shirt,” according to the original incident report. The man, who she said was dressed in all black and wearing a mask, “pulled her around the house to the front yard,” the sheriff’s department said at that time.
A white, “older model panel van” driven by a another person was waiting nearby, according to the girl, who said her abductor pulled her in that direction before the dog bit the man and he let her go, according to the sheriff’s department’s original statement.
But investigators eventually learned only the daughter saw the van and alleged abductor, contrasting what deputies were originally told, the sheriff’s department said.
The teen was actually meeting an acquaintance outside of her home, then made up the abduction story when confronted, according to the release.
The sheriff’s department said it is exploring possible legal action to compensate it for the resources expended during the investigation.
“We do not have a monetary figure at this time,” sheriff’s department officials said in the release.
Although the story turned out to be fake, Sheriff Leon Lott thanked those who called in tips and who took the time to review their surveillance videos in hopes of catching the van.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
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This story was originally published March 11, 2020 at 1:42 PM.
