Marion County law enforcement arrested a Florida teenager who sparked an Amber Alert after claiming he had been kidnapped and shot. He is now accused of staging the entire ordeal, and investigators say he left digital evidence suggesting extensive planning.
According to ClickOrlando, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office says, before he vanished, Caden Speight, 17, researched Mexican cartels and “how to collect blood without pain” using ChatGPT. According to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the investigation began on September 25, 2025, when Speight’s mother contacted authorities after receiving a disturbing text from her son. The message claimed he had been abducted by four Hispanic men and shot.
Deputies quickly found his truck abandoned near a wooded area, its windshield shattered by a bullet hole. Blood stains, drag marks, and a broken cellphone appeared to confirm a violent crime. Within hours, search teams, K-9 units, and multiple law enforcement agencies were combing through the area. But what initially looked like a kidnapping fell apart.
The incriminating surveilance footage
Marion County Sheriff’s deputies arrested 17-year-old Caden Speight today after they say he faked his kidnapping, triggering an Amber Alert last month: https://t.co/vVrAB8TIzJ #cadenspeight #amberalert #marioncountyfl pic.twitter.com/vX0MXYPZv2
— WCJB TV20 News (@WCJB20) October 14, 2025
Detectives reviewing surveillance footage discovered that earlier that day noticed Speight had purchased a tent, camping gear, and a bicycle from local stores. He was later found in Williston, about 30 miles from the scene, suffering from a gunshot wound to his leg. Investigators say the injury was self-inflicted. Investigators say those online prompts, later discovered, combined with his physical preparation and staged crime scene, indicate the teen planned the deception in detail.
Speight’s mother could also face charges?
#CadenSpeight has been located safely! LE said that Caden was not shot, he was not abducted & he staged this entire situation! After he willingly abandoned his truck, he was seen on surveillance footage (several times) riding a bike that he purchased at a Walmart with a rolled up… pic.twitter.com/xdJ0aydVQ2
— Matt Thibodeau (@MattThibodeau) September 26, 2025
The bizarre case has also drawn attention outside Florida. The Uvalde Foundation for Kids, a national school safety advocacy group, has called for charges against Speight’s mother, alleging she obstructed the investigation by refusing to allow detectives to interview her son. The foundation argued that the hoax not only diverted police resources but also undermined public trust in genuine missing-persons reports.
Authorities have charged Speight as a juvenile with presenting false evidence, making a false report of a crime, shooting into a vehicle, and possession of a firearm by a minor. He remains in custody while prosecutors review whether additional charges will be filed. Sheriff Woods said his office is also considering pursuing restitution to recover the cost of the search effort, which involved multiple agencies and emergency resources.
