An apparent kidnapping case from over the weekend has turned out to be a hoax. That's what Fresno County Sheriff's deputies determined after interviewing four people tied to the case.
Saturday night, a man went inside his southeast Fresno home and discovered his wife and two small boys were gone. He also found a note saying they had been kidnapped. Then yesterday, 32-year old Christina Cienfuegos and her children, ages one and two, surfaced at her brother-in-law's house.
It turns out the whole abduction was staged and was intended to help her escape with a man she was having an affair with.
Deputies say given the circumstances, they had to err on the side of caution and take this case seriously.
“Especially when it involves small children, you always worry because time is not on your side. You need to resolve these things quickly and locate the kidnap victims as soon as possible,” said Lt. John Zanoni of the Fresno Co. Sheriff’s Dept.
Since this is now being ruled a false kidnapping report, those involved could face criminal charges.