Police: Fort Mill boys who reported kidnap attempt made up story to skip school

Two boys who reported an April 11 kidnapping attempt in Fort Mill made up the story so they could skip school, according to the York County Sheriff’s Department.

“Detectives learned the story was made up by both children in an effort for the boys to skip school for the day,” said a statement issued Wednesday morning by sheriff’s spokesman Trent Faris.

Faris said a Leatherman multi-tool device with knives built into that was located on the scene “was found earlier by the children.”

Michael Husky and his 7-year-old cousin reported that a man was carrying the device when he tried to grab them as they were walking to school at Fort Mill’s Pleasant Knoll Elementary, Husky’s mother, Terrie Ruff told The Herald after the incident.

Faris’ statement said York County detectives and deputies “have worked countless hours over the last week to find answers to the apparent attempted kidnapping of two children along Whitley Road in Fort Mill.”

“After interviews with witnesses, talking with the two boys involved and through the boys own confession, detectives discovered there was no attempted kidnapping on the morning of April 11, 2016,” it said.

Fort Mill school leaders sent separate emails Wednesday morning to Pleasant Knoll parents and to parents and staff members across the district to let them know the alleged abduction attempt did not happen.

“While this incident is unfortunate, we are grateful to learn our students were not in danger,” Pleasant Knoll Principal Grey Young wrote in an email to parents. The incident had prompted a brief lockdown at the school.

Young also said: “In this case, our students made a mistake, but as their school family, we support their learning and understanding, and will use this experience as a teaching point when talking with all students about decision-making and how to respond accordingly.”

Faris said the sheriff’s office “would like to thank the citizens of Fort Mill for their attentiveness and efforts to help us solve this case.”

It also said the case “should also be made into a good lesson for parents and children. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has many resources parents can use to help talk with their children.”

In an interview with The Herald, Terrie Ruff told the Herald the boys burst through the door of her home in a panic after the alleged incident, crying and shaking, saying “somebody just tried to get us.”

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This story was originally published April 20, 2016 at 12:01 PM with the headline "Police: Fort Mill boys who reported kidnap attempt made up story to skip school."