False abduction report triggers AMBER Alert

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- Bay Area authorities are trying unravel a bizarre false AMBER Alert. Freeway signs flashed a license plate and vehicle description after an Oakland woman claimed the father of her child kidnapped their one-year old. Police would later learn that the child didn't exist.

The false alarm drew officers to the area of 94th Avenue and Holly Street in Oakland when a woman reported a domestic violence incident at 12:30 a.m.. The mother said the child's father struck her with a firearm and rammed her vehicle with his. She claimed the man fled with the couple's 18-month-old daughter and an AMBER Alert was issued at about 4:30 a.m..

However, the man was later taken into custody and police determined the report was false.

The daughter of the man said the family is suffering because of the false report.

"We have been getting threatening phone calls. My door has been egged. A lot of harassment that we don't need because it's a false story," said Shaquala Tolefree.

"The most important thing is that we don't have a child out there who is in danger, that's really important. Now we will deal with the fallout issues of filing a false police report, initiating an AMBER Alert that shouldn't have been initiated," said Oakland Police Spokesperson Johnna Watson.

Police did not immediately say if the mother would face charges for filing the false report.

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amber alert, oakland, OPD, east bay news, eric thomas

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