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Michigan woman could face charges for fake kidnapping

Police in a small Michigan city may seek restitution for a young woman's alleged fake kidnapping.

By Frances Burns

DETROIT, Aug. 11 (UPI) -- A young Michigan woman cost a hard-pressed city "quite a bit of money" in police time and resources by faking a kidnapping, an official said Monday.

The report that Hayley Turner, 18, of Bedford Township had disappeared Thursday evening set off a massive search. She was found 50 miles away Friday in Ecorse, and police now say there was no kidnapping.

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Ecorse Police Chief Michael Moore said investigators now believe someone else was involved in the stunt.

"At no time was she in danger," Moore said. "She could not do this alone. At no time was she without a friend."

Turner was driving home from a video store when she called a friend to say she had seen someone lying on the roadside. She then said the person had a gun.

The friend called Turner's father who found her car with the engine still running and summoned police.

After she was spotted jumping from a moving car in Ecorse, Moore said investigators found scratches on her. They now believe she injured herself.

"My frustration level was very high," Moore said. "We are a cash-strapped city ... and this cost us quite a bit of money."

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Turner could face felony charges in two counties, Monroe, where Bedford is located and Wayne, which includes Detroit and surrounding communities like Ecorse. Lt. Greg Blade, an Ecorse police detective, said the department has consulted the city attorney and could also seek restitution.

"Someone's going to have to pay," Blade said.

In late July, a 14-year-old Michigan girl walking her dog on a popular hiking and jogging trail sent her boyfriend a text message that read "OMG, I think I'm being kidnapped." Her body was found the next day by joggers who were alerted by the dog.

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