Police say they have arrested an upper-St Andrew teenager who on Saturday faked her own kidnapping, causing the Constant Spring police to first go on a wild goose chase before realising that it was a hoax.

The cops did not name the 16 year-old girl or give her address, but said that she is to appear in the Family Court tomorrow.

This is the second kidnapping hoax the police have faced in recent weeks, following the arrest last month of Luther Reid, 32, who had also faked his own kidnapping and a $3-million ransom claim on his family. Reid, who has already appeared twice in the Half Way Tree Resident Magistrate's Court, is to make a third appearance on September 13.

Yesterday the police appealed to people to end the growing number of false kidnapping reports which unnecessarily tie up investigators.

"Investigators are appealing to members of the public not to engage in this practice as kidnapping is a serious offence and stringent police action will be taken against perpetrators who make these erroneous reports," said the Constabulary Communications Network, the police's information agency.

In the case of the juvenile female, the police said that she was left at home alone Saturday morning. When relatives returned about midday she was absent from home, but there was a note claiming that she was kidnapped.

The Constant Spring police, who investigated the case, later found the girl and it was confirmed that she had written the note herself.

She was arrested and charged for creating public mischief.
In the case of Reid, who lives at Edinburgh Avenue, Kingston 10, he was allegedly kidnapped at about 11:00 pm on Friday, May 29. Family members received a ransom request.

The police said that their investigation showed that rather than being kidnapped, Reid was at a girlfriend's home in Stony Hill.

In fact, 12 hours after his alleged kidnapping, police said, Reid turned up at the Constant Spring police station and reported that he had been kidnapped, blindfolded and taken to an unknown destination.

But after collecting statements from Reid, police charged him for public mischief.

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