A German 13-year-old faked her kidnapping to scam her father for ransom money, police say
- Berlin police say a 13-year-old girl and her 18-year-old friend faked the girl's kidnapping to blackmail ransom money from her father.
- The girl's father called police after receiving a ransom video, sparking a massive manhunt involving 280 officers in the German capital.
- Police didn't say how much the demanded ransom was, but one report said they sought 40,000 euros, or $44,650.
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BERLIN (AP) — Berlin police say a 13-year-old girl and her 18-year-old friend have faked the girl's kidnapping to blackmail a ransom from her father, a move that led to a massive manhunt involving 280 officers in the German capital.
Police spokeswoman Patricia Braemer said Sunday that police first heard Thursday night about the alleged kidnapping. The girl and her male friend were eventually apprehended on a Berlin street on Friday night. The girl was taken to the city's youth welfare office because she refused to return home.
The 18-year-old was detained by police and was slated to be in court Sunday for charges of extortion and faking a crime.
German broadcaster Deutsche Welle reported that police said it was an elaborate ruse, as the pair had even recorded hostage videos for the scare.
The suspects had demanded at least two ransom payments, the first installment of which asked for €4,000 ($4,465) to be sent on the night the police found the teenagers, according to the German newspaper Die Welt.
Braemer said the girl and her friend are both Syrian citizens. She would not comment on how much money the two demanded from her father, but local paper B.Z. reported they asked for 40,000 euros ($44,650).
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