Police arrested an Arizona man after he faked his own kidnapping because he wanted to skip work, authorities said.
Brandon Soules, 19, was found on February 10 roughed up and vulnerable in Coolidge, a city 55 miles away from Phoenix, KNXV reported.
Soules told police that two masked men had kidnapped him, when in reality it was all a ruse.
“He informed us that he at first stuffed a bandanna in his mouth,” a Coolidge Police Department official said. “Afterwards, he took off his own belt, and bound his hands with his own belt. (He) laid on the ground and scooted out on the side of the road so somebody could see him and waited.”
His plan seemed to work, as a passerby saw him and called the police. Police reported to the scene and found Soules.
“He informed us that he was hit in the head and stuffed in a car in front of his home and this occurred after 7 o’clock in the morning, but when we located video surveillance in front of his home, we were able to see no such thing,” the police official said.
When Soules was brought in for questioning on February 17, police said he admitted he made the whole thing up because he was looking to get out of work.
Soules will not have to worry about showing up for work anymore. KTRK reported that his employer, The Tire Factory, fired him upon learning of the arrest.
Soules was charged with one count of reporting false information, and he pleaded guilty to the crime, police said.
“It was very important that we put out that media release to let people know that our community is still safe and there are not two masked men running about kidnapping people,” police said.
The New York Times reported Soules did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday.