In a bizarre turn of events, a 17-year-old from Florida, Caden Speight, has admitted to fabricating a dramatic kidnapping story that involved claiming he was abducted by four Hispanic men. This false narrative took a further shocking twist as he went so far as to shoot himself in the leg to perpetuate the deception.

Speight faced a series of charges including presenting false evidence, discharging a firearm into a vehicle, making a fraudulent crime report, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a minor. In court, he chose to enter a plea of no contest to these charges, a legal move that accepts the penalties without admitting guilt or contesting the evidence, as reported by WFTV.

The plea agreement was announced by prosecutors, who agreed to this resolution to avoid a full trial. This decision allows Speight to face the consequences of his actions while sidestepping the admission of guilt typically associated with a guilty plea.

The saga began when Speight texted his mother, alleging he had been kidnapped by a group of “possibly” Hispanic men in a light-colored truck. This alarming message triggered an Amber Alert and set law enforcement into motion, leading to a search for the teenager. Authorities discovered his truck abandoned, with its doors ajar and a single gunshot hole as evidence of foul play.

However, Speight’s story unraveled quickly. Investigators uncovered surveillance footage showing him purchasing a bicycle, tent, and camping supplies at a local Walmart before sending the frantic text to his mother. This evidence painted a clear picture of a premeditated plan rather than a genuine abduction, as detailed by CrimeOnline.

“Caden simply rode away towards Williston while the rest of us were left to think the worst and my team was working in overdrive to solve this case,” Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said.

Speight continued the deceit when he was located, telling officers that he had been kidnapped and shot. But investigators say he deliberately shot himself in the leg to “continue the ruse” before he was found.

Speight’s parents initially refused to allow their delinquent son to speak with detectives.

The conditions of the plea deal prosecutors allowed are not known, WFTV said. He will be sentenced when paperwork is finished.