WTOC, Savannah, Georgia, news, weather and sports | Police Cancel Abduction Alert for 14-Year-Old Girl
Member Center:
Michelle SmithSAVANNAH, GA (WTOC) - Garden City police detectives issued an abduction alert for a 14-year-old Michelle Smith, but 24 hours later said the report was a hoax.
Capt. Al Jelinski with Garden City police said Sunday a 12-year-old told police that she and Smith were taken by three males on 3rd Street in Garden City. According to the 12-year-old, the men sexually assaulted both of them. She went on to tell police that she managed to get away, but that they still had Smith.
After later talking with the 12-year-old, they determined she made up the story and that Smith simply ran away.
Investigators say this fabricated story really but a strain on their resources.
"Today we had three investigators working this case all day long," said Jelinski. "Metro was helping, we had the Georgia Bureau of Investigation involved, Missing and Exploited Children involved and CrimeStoppers. National networks all over the country putting these [alerts] out, lots of folks involved in it. It tied up a lot of resources, man-hours."
Jelinski said fortunately the story isn't true, but that it's frustrating so much time was wasted on the case.
The case is still under investigation and it has not been determined what charges the 12-year-old may face.
