CLEVELAND — A woman lied to have an Amber Alert issued for her 12-year-old son who she reported to be in her car that was stolen in Cleveland Friday afternoon so authorities would "try and recover her vehicle," according to Cleveland police.
Cleveland police received a report from the woman that the boy was sitting inside a silver 2008 Saturn when it was stolen near West 46th Street and Clark Avenue by two unknown men. It was last spotted near West 45th Street and Eichorn Avenue.
A News 5 crew went to the scene near East 133rd and Lambert Avenue where police responded to a crashed vehicle that matched the description of the Saturn.
Authorities said that a woman reported that she left the child in the car while she ran into a nearby store. When she came back out the car was gone.
According to police, the story that triggered that Amber Alert was false and the boy who was reported missing was home safe the entire time police were searching for him.
The frantic search for that boy ended with a police chase followed by a crash more than 15 miles from where that woman claimed her son and her vehicle were taken.
“I heard a big boom and then the sirens went off so I walked out and there it was,” Darohn Pryor said, “Or there was the car in the front lawn.”
Pryor was shocked to see his father’s truck smashed several houses down the block on East 133rd Street.
“I was like, ‘Dang, I thought I parked the truck out there,’ because it wasn’t there no more,” Pryor said, “It was replaced by the car, so that’s it. It’s down the street.”
That woman allegedly told police her son was inside the stolen vehicle so police would consider the search for her stolen car a greater priority.
“So they did put the child first, so in a way she was right,” Pryor said, “But you shouldn’t lie about anything like that.”
Multiple people who were inside the stolen vehicle were taken into police custody.
Police have not yet released details about whether the woman who reported her son missing will face criminal charges.
The incident remains under investigation.
