An 11-year-old Winfield acknowledged that he fabricated a story about being abducted this week and really was never in danger, Winfield Police Chief Jerry DeVore said late Thursday.
DeVore said investigators are wrapping up the case and he did not rule out the possibility of criminal charges in relation to the incident.
On Wednesday, officers began investigating what they believed at the time was a child abduction. The boy told police he had been made to get into a car as he played in his yard in Winfield.
The boy said a man took him into a rural area of the country before dropping the boy at a relative’s home in Arkansas City.
Eventually the boy acknowledged he made up the story. DeVore said information about a possible abduction was released to the media as a "matter of precaution."
DeVore, in a written statement, thanked those that provided information in regard to the incident. Though this week’s incident was a false alarm, he encourages parents to speak with their children about the dangers of speaking with strangers.
