VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – An 11-year-old girl was arrested Wednesday after texting 911 about a fake abduction, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.
In a release, deputies said the girl told 911 her friend had been kidnapped by an armed man driving a white van on southbound I-95 in Oak Hill.
According to deputies, the girl texted updates for the next hour and a half, explaining she was following in a blue Jeep and describing the supposed gunman.
Several deputies responded — alongside police from Edgewater, New Smyrna Beach and Port Orange — to search for the kidnapper, though no vehicle was found, the release shows.
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Ultimately, deputies were directed to a home in Port Orange after tracking the 11-year-old girl’s cell phone, the sheriff’s office said
Upon arrival, deputies got in touch with the girl’s father, who said that she was inside with her family, investigators said.
As deputies approached the girl, she was seen holding her cell phone, which was ringing as she walked out to meet with law enforcement, according to the release.
The girl eventually confessed she got the idea to prank 911 through a YouTube challenge, thinking it “would be funny,” deputies said.
The sheriff’s office released body camera video of the deputies chastising the 11-year-old girl during the arrest, telling her that “nothing is going to happen” to her and that she could use it as a “learning experience.”
“This kind of prank activity is dangerous — we’re going to investigate every incident, but today, it wasted valuable resources that might have helped someone else who legitimately needed our help,” Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood later said.
The 11-year-old faces charges of making a false report concerning the use of a firearm in a violent manner and misuse of 911. She was taken to the Family Resource Center for processing before being transferred to the Volusia Regional Juvenile Detention Center.
Meanwhile, the sheriff’s office is inviting parents to a series of community discussions to learn about the risks and dangers posed to children on online platforms. Those discussions will be held at the following times and places:
- First New Smyrna Beach — 200 Faulner Street — Monday, July 31
- Tomoka Christian Church — 1101 E. Plymouth Ave. — Monday, Aug. 7
- Deltona City Hall — 2345 Providence Blvd. — Wednesday, Aug. 9
- DeBary City Hall — 16 Colomba Road — Monday, Aug. 8
- Mission San Jose of Saint Peter — 165 Emporia Road — Tuesday, Aug. 29
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