Lakeside County, Missouri, Sheriff David Millsap said an AMBER Alert was issued after a mother falsely claimed a man took her newborn baby. The woman said the baby was snatched after the child was born on the side of the road. The sheriff determined the baby was born in a trailer and that the false information was given because the baby’s mother and father were dealing with outstanding warrants.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol canceled an AMBER Alert for an infant boy after discovering the child’s mother had her 16-year-old son call in the false report. The alert was issued August 1, 2019, in Rolla, Missouri, was the first AMBER Alert ever initiated by the Maries County Sheriff’s Office. Officers say the woman was trying to buy time to take the infant to Arkansas while the child’s father was distracted. The woman was charged with making a false report and with prostitution for allegedly paying a man to have sex with her and help her pick up her son from a bus station.
A Michigan mother was ordered to serve three years of probation for claiming her baby had been kidnapped, which sparked an AMBER Alert. The woman told police her car had been stolen with her 18-month-old daughter inside. Someone saw the alert and told police the child was safe with her father. The mother admitted to making up the story because of a dispute with the girl’s father.
Dallas police filed charges against a father for making a false report that prompted an AMBER Alert for his four-year-old son. The man claimed his child and car were taken from a parking lot. Police found the car three hours later and discovered later the boy had been with his mother the entire time.
Police in Waco, Texas, issued an AMBER Alert after a mother reported her 3- and 4-year-old daughters had been kidnapped by a man named “Chris.” As the investigation went on police discovered the mother forgot she left her children at a daycare center. Daycare workers took the children home after they were unable to contact the mother. Child Protective Services took custody of the children after they saw their living conditions.
Live Oak, Florida, police arrested a woman for falsely claiming her children had been taken, resulting in the issuance of an AMBER Alert. On September 28, 2018, Roseangel Sanchez was booked for fraud, passing forged checks, and false reporting. Sanchez told police her seven-year-old son and six-year-old daughter were taken by a group of people. She later told police she told the lie in an attempt to get out of check fraud charges. The children were later found safe.
A Grand Rapids, Michigan, mother is facing prison after telling police her 18-month-old daughter had been stolen by a stranger on August 5, 2018. An AMBER Alert woke residents up after it its 3:21 a.m. issuance. Jennell Ross stuck by her story until the baby’s father told police the child was with him the entire time. “It kind of destroys the credibility of the AMBER Alert, which is really sad that one person did that, and she should be charged,” said Michigan State Police Detective Sergeant Sara Krebs. “It’s very frustrating for us, but I will always err on the side of caution for that child.” Ross could face up to four years in prison and a $2,000 fine.
A Largo, Florida, mother accused of murdering her 2-year-old has also been charged with lying to police after an AMBER Alert was issued. Clarissa Stinson claimed her son was abducted after they accepted a ride from a stranger on September 1, 2018. Police say the lies cost them critical time in finding the boy and resulted in $500,000 in law enforcement costs. Fifteen agencies, including 163 law enforcement officers and 28 staff members, took part in the search. “A price cannot be put on that,” said Largo Police spokesperson Randy Chaney. Stinson could face an additional five years in prison for giving the false story to police.
A 25-year-old mother was arrested after telling Saraland, Alabama, police that her car was stolen by an ex-boyfriend with her 3-year-old son inside. Police issued an AMBER Alert and activated the Child Abduction Response Team (CART) to assist in the investigation. Police say the woman changed her story several times and they ultimately determined the child was with family members.
Police in Grand Prairie, Texas, charged a woman with making a false police report after an AMBER Alert was issued for her 10-month-old baby. Police say the woman wanted to speed up the recovery of her stolen car by claiming her child was in the back seat. Police determined the woman's car was stolen but that she did not have a baby.
A Mississauga, Ontario, woman was charged with making a false police report after she said she saw a female being forced into a van on January 15, 2017. An AMBER Alert was issued after her family reported a 15-year-old girl was missing. The teen was found safe and police determined she had not been abducted.
A West End, Ohio, mother was indicted for falsely reporting her newborn baby was missing, prompting an AMBER Alert. The 28-year-old mother reported the incident on March 3, 2016, which led to a lengthy pursuit by local and federal officers and the public. The mother’s car had been stolen, but police say she lied about the child still being inside the car.
Germantown, Tennessee, police were swamped with calls about a missing 14-year-old girl who was not actually missing. Numerous people spread the news about the missing teen after reading about it on Facebook and Twitter. Police interviewed family and friends and contacted other law enforcement agencies before the teen showed up and said she was in the neighborhood all day.
Oakland, California, police arrested a woman for filing a false report after they issued an AMBER Alert for her nonexistent 18-month-old daughter. On February 1, 2013, the woman claimed her husband assaulted her and then abducted their daughter. The woman said the child was wearing a pink shirt with blue bears and had a Tigger blanket. After police learned the story was a hoax, they called off the AMBER Alert and the 4-hour manhunt.
A Sevierville, Tennessee, mother has been charged with filing a false police report after she claimed her 3-month-old daughter had been abducted. The Sevier County Sheriff's Office issued an AMBER Alert in March when the woman told detectives a couple posing as social workers took her child. Detectives later found out the baby was staying with extended family members at the request of the mother.
Tulsa, Oklahoma, police say a man lied about his 6-year-old daughter being inside his stolen truck so that law enforcement would issue an AMBER Alert. Police were about to issue the alert when Michael Hankins, under intense questioning, admitted that he made up the story to "find his truck faster." Hankins was charged with falsely encouraging an AMBER Alert and now faces up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine, plus restitution.
A North Carolina woman was sentenced to a year in prison for claiming her 3-year-old son had been abducted, which led to the issuance of a statewide AMBER Alert. In May 2008, Rosnah Hassan Thomason told authorities that her son was missing from a flea market. Authorities later found that she was not the mother of the child, and he was safe with a relative.