Man lied about kidnapping of 13-year-old girl that led to a statewide Amber Alert, police say

PUEBLO, Colo. (KKTV/Gray News) - Police said they now believe a man lied about the kidnapping of a 13-year-old girl in Colorado that led to an Amber Alert.

Pueblo police reported 34-year-old Daniel Reyes claimed his cousin “Sandra” was inside of his pickup truck when it was stolen Wednesday afternoon.

Officials immediately set off searching for Sandra and the missing truck.

“The investigation quickly escalated and involved multiple jurisdictions and agencies,” a police press release said.

About two hours later, the truck was found unoccupied, and an Amber Alert was issued since Sandra was still presumed missing.

Detectives learned about four hours into their search that the teenager was safe at home and had no connection to Reyes.

The Amber Alert was canceled. Reyes was arrested and charged with an attempt to influence a public servant, a class 4 felony.

“False reporting wastes countless hours of manpower and resources, not only in our community, but also in the surrounding areas limiting law enforcement’s ability to respond to additional needs,” Pueblo Police Chief Chris Noeller said. “Our department is thankful the juvenile was safe in this incident.”