Amber Alert Kidnapping Was False Report, Police Say

Los Angeles, CA — A woman, who triggered a statewide Amber Alert last week when she told police she was carjacked at gunpoint with her son still in the backseat, made the whole story up, Los Angeles police said Tuesday.

Now she is facing criminal charges for allegedly filing a false police report.

Charlene Gaston claimed she was carjacked at 47th Street and Figueroa Street in Los Angeles Thursday, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Gaston allegedly told police her 16-year-old boy was in the car when it happened and that he was still in the car when the carjacker, a woman identified as Kandace Johnson, drove away.

The report triggered a statewide Amber Alert and the ensuing investigation sucked up police resources, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. A few hours into the investigation, Johnson, 31, was found and arrested, but Gaston’s story quickly began to unravel. For starters, her son was nowhere to be found.

"The (mother) told the officers that she wasn't sure if the suspect actually knew that there was a child in the car because the windows are tinted very dark on the back," Los Angeles police Detective Meghan Aguilar said late Friday morning. "So we're still not sure what her intention was, although at this time we believe her intention was to steal the car and not kidnap the child that was in the vehicle."

Now police believe there never was a carjacking. They allege Gaston made up the story to get a police response because she was angry with Johnson for borrowing her car and not returning it.

“Detectives’ investigation revealed there was no carjacking, nor was there a minor child involved at any time,” department officials announced Tuesday. “Gaston had loaned her vehicle to Johnson several days prior and Johnson refused to return it to her. Gaston’s motive behind the false report is unknown, but it is believed she simply wanted to create a scenario that would warrant police response. Her false claim led to numerous police resources being utilized, as well as the issuance of a statewide Amber Alert.”

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact 77th Division detectives at 323-786-5420.