A massive hunt for a missing Florida teenager has taken a shocking turn after investigators uncovered that his alleged kidnapping may have been staged.
Florida teenager stages disappearance
Seventeen-year-old Caden Speight was reported missing on September 25, with claims circulating that he had been shot and kidnapped by four Hispanic men in a van.
Authorities responded urgently, scouring the area in Marion County where his abandoned vehicle and phone were located, alongside signs of gunfire.
The alarming report triggered an AMBER Alert and mobilized a wide-reaching search effort, including air support.
Investigators quickly unraveled the fabricated story. Surveillance footage revealed Speight stopping at multiple stores before vanishing.
He was seen purchasing a tent, sleeping bag, and bicycle from Walmart, leaving the store on his new bike after abandoning his truck.
The following day, September 26, authorities announced Speight was found “alive and well.”
Lieutenant Paul Bloom addressed the situation, saying, “What we learned through that investigation is that the shooting or the abduction by some folks in a van that was unfounded. We’ve not been able to verify that at all and in fact, confirmed just the opposite.”
Police now suspect the disappearance was a “deliberate hoax” by the teen, and if that’s confirmed, Speight could face criminal charges.
Florida law classifies knowingly filing a false report as a first-degree misdemeanor or even a felony, depending on circumstances.
Authorities have not yet determined a motive, but they aren’t being hasty about filing charges against the Florida teenager.
“We want to look into this and see what the cause is. What was his plan? What was the reason? So as we further that and go deep, a deeper dive on that, we’re going to where we can let you know,” Bloom said.
In an update,
Homecoming stabbing stuns community
Elsewhere, a violent incident at a Utah high school homecoming dance shocked the community.
Spanish Fork Police said a 17-year-old boy was stabbed during a fight in the parking lot of Maple Mountain High School on September 20.
Officers responded at 9:21 p.m. and found the victim with a stab wound to the leg. He was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The 16-year-old teen suspect fled but was quickly apprehended and booked into Slate Canyon Detention Center on aggravated assault charges.
Police said several juveniles were involved in the incident surrounding the homecoming stabbing, though the cause remains unknown.
“The safety and well-being of our students is always our highest priority. Our thoughts are with the student who was injured during Saturday’s incident, and we are grateful that they have been released from the hospital with a non-serious injury,” the Nebo School District said in a statement.
The district confirmed counseling resources would be made available to students.
Kentucky boy gropes grandmother
Meanwhile, in Kentucky, a disturbing case involving a 13-year-old boy was even more shocking.
Home surveillance footage allegedly showed the teen groping 78-year-old Jan Fletcher on September 6 after asking her for directions while she swept her porch.
Fletcher said the boy pretended to brush something off her back before touching her inappropriately.
“As soon as that happened, I said, ‘Let me tell you something, you better get out here and you better go now.’ So he did. He was gone,” Fletcher recalled.
“Why [did he do] this? What was the reason that he did it? And I want an apology for him doing it.”
She told reporters she believed the boy might have been preparing to rob her, noting he asked if anyone else was in the home.
“This person could’ve had a knife in his pocket or a gun. I’d have died trying to keep him away from me,” she said.
Security footage of the incident was later shared by her granddaughter.
Louisville police confirmed the boy’s arrest and commended detectives for their swift action.
“We were made aware of a disturbing incident where a suspect walked up to a front porch and eventually groped an older lady by brushing her backside several times,” the department said in a statement.
“The case was assigned to the 7th Division Detective’s Office. We hope this arrest relieves some of the fear and embarrassment the innocent woman suffered. Great work, detectives,” the statement concluded.
