Local

Teen at center of Marion County kidnapping hoax sentenced

Caden Speight, 17 Caden Speight, a 17-year-old from Marion County, was arrested for orchestrating an abduction hoax and making a false crime report, according to sheriff's investigators.

MARION COUNTY, Fla. — A Marion County teen accused of making up a kidnapping story is now on house arrest.

Investigators said Caden Speight, 17, texted his mother in September to say he had been kidnapped and shot.

A Florida Amber Alert was issued on Sept. 26.

Detectives said Speight actually biked to a different county and shot himself in the leg.

In October, Speight, who was charged as a juvenile, pleaded no contest in the case.

On Monday, a judge sentenced him to one year of house arrest with an electronic monitor, which he’ll have to wear for 6 months.

Speight will be required to perform 100 hours of community service, take a firearm safety class, and receive counseling. Additionally, his driver’s license has been suspended for six months, the Office of the State Attorney for Florida’s Fifth Judicial Circuit confirmed.

Speight’s family has been ordered to pay nearly $25,000 in restitution for the cost of resources used by the county during the investigation.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And

click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.

0