ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. --
Albuquerque police are fuming mad after they have spent hours Sunday evening investigating a lie.
A man was arrested for reporting that someone stole his car with a 7-year-old child inside so he could get a quicker police response time, police said.
Deputy Chief Beth Paiz said that at about 7:30 p.m. Sunday police responded to the area near Utah Street and Copper Avenue. Aaron Young told them his 7-year-old had been taken when his car was stolen.
Paiz said Young eventually admitted he just wanted a quicker response time so he could get back an expensive television that was in the car.
"Upon interviewing the victim further, the victim had told us he had an expensive TV. He wanted it back and wanted a prompt police response. That's why he lied," Paiz told Action 7 News.
APD remained on the scene well into the night searching for the thief, who they could only describe as a white male in his 20s. K-9 teams conducted a yard-by-yard search after finding the stolen car abandoned a few blocks away, police said.
Neighbors told Action 7 police blocked off at least a six-block radius near Wyoming Boulevard and Copper Avenue in northeast Albuquerque.
“It was like chaos, I guess. We were in panic,” neighbor Gary Sanchez said.
APD said Young would have to pay the cost of the massive response from APD and the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Department. He was arrested on Monday, police said.
“We were talking about putting out a national Amber Alert,” said Sgt. Trish Hoffman, of the Albuquerque Police Department. “Not only did we have K-9 out there, we (also) had assistance from BCSO. They had their helicopter up.”
Police said Young, who has bonded out of jail, could face up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine if he's convicted of filing a false police report.
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