Police in Florida have shared a major update after a 17-year-old boy went missing, sparking urgent fears he had been abducted.
On Thursday (September 25), Caden Speight disappeared shortly after sending his mother alarming text messages claiming he had been “shot” and referencing “four men” and a “white van.”
Officers responded to reports of a shooting in Dunnellon and soon discovered Caden’s car abandoned by the highway. Inside, they found his mobile phone broken in half.
The disturbing details led to a large-scale search effort. Helicopters, ground units and local appeals were deployed as investigators worked under the assumption that the teenager might have been kidnapped.
However, just 24 hours later, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Caden had been found safe in the town of Williston, the Daily Mail reports.
In a statement, officials wrote: “Caden has been located safe in Williston. This investigation is still ongoing. More updates will be provided as they become available.”
Detectives later revealed that Caden had purchased a bicycle and a tent from a local Walmart in the hours before the disappearance was reported. Evidence gathered since then suggests that the initial claims of a shooting and abduction were not accurate, per The Independent.
The Sheriff’s Office explained: “At this time, there is no evidence to indicate that he was taken by four Hispanic men in a light-colored van. It is possible that he left the incident location on a black bicycle with a red and grey tent, which he purchased at Walmart on SW 19th Avenue Road in Ocala.”
Williston, where he was found, is roughly a two-hour cycle north of the location where police first responded.
Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said his deputies acted swiftly based on the first reports, stressing that any case involving a juvenile is treated with the highest priority.
“We respond to every 911 call with a determination to ensure justice is served and the truth revealed. When these calls involve juveniles, it takes on an even greater intensity. This case is no different,” he said.
He acknowledged that the initial information given to police later turned out to be inaccurate, but emphasised that officers “always give everything we have until the investigation takes us into a different direction.”
The investigation remains open as detectives continue to review evidence and determine the circumstances surrounding Caden’s disappearance.
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