Lethbridge Police Service headquarters is shown in Lethbridge, Alta., on Wednesday, March 10, 2021. Police in Lethbridge have charged a man with public mischief after a reported kidnapping turned out to be a hoax. THE CANADIAN PRESS/David Rossiter
LETHBRIDGE, Alta. – Police in southern Alberta have charged a man with public mischief after a reported kidnapping turned out to be a hoax.
Lethbridge police say they received a 911 call Saturday about a hostage-taking and kidnapping.
The caller said a friend had just phoned to say he had been kidnapped and was trapped in the back of a moving vehicle.
The caller told dispatchers the kidnappers were armed with bear spray, knives and possibly a firearm.
Hours later, investigators located the friend in Calgary, who was safe and hadn’t been the victim of a crime.
Police say a 20-year-old man from Lethbridge was arrested and is scheduled to appear in court May 8.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 4, 2024.
