PD News

December 16, 2009

Police say abduction was a lie

AVOCA – A story about the Sunday night abduction of two teenage girls was a hoax, police say.

Borough police and the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office said the kidnapping case, which was reported to local news media on Monday, has been closed.

The teens, ages 13 and 14, admitted to authorities that the story had been made up, police said Tuesday in a news release.

On Sunday, police said, the girls reported that they were approached by two men who forced them into a utility van in the area of Wood Street, near School Street, in Avoca.

Police said the girls claimed that they remained inside the van for about a half hour before they were able to escape in Old Forge after the men stopped the van to throw away the girls’ cell phones.

The story about the probe into the alleged abduction was widely reported in the area’s news media.

Police said they gathered evidence and found several inconsistencies with the girls’ statements.

The girls, whose names were not released, told borough officers and county detectives during an interview Tuesday afternoon their story was a hoax, police said.

Police said that charges are expected to be filed against both teens at a later date.

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