Crime & Safety

Sheriff: Kidnapping was Hoax to Cover Up Car Crash

Authorities are puzzled as to how the alleged hoax was supposed to work.

Sheriff’s deputies uncovered a kidnapping hoax Thursday designed to cover up a vehicle collision in Vallejo, officials said today.

The first report of a man found bound at the entrance to Lynch Canyon Open Space came in at 8:18 a.m., Solano County Sheriff’s Deputy Carrie Hollar said.

Deputies responded to the open space area after someone reported a kidnapping and carjacking, according to sheriff’s officials.

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Deputies found American Canyon resident Michael Quail, 36, at the park’s entrance, sheriff’s officials said.

After hours of investigation, detectives learned that Quail allegedly conspired to cover up a collision in Vallejo by staging the kidnapping, according to sheriff’s officials.

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Hollar could not explain how the alleged hoax was supposed to work.

Sheriff’s officials said the false report wasted the sheriff’s office’s resources. Deputies cited Quail for falsely reporting a crime, sheriff’s officials said.

--Bay City News Service, photo via Shutterstock

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