After spending the afternoon searching for a missing child, the Grand Junction Police Department can confirm that the report of a kidnapping was false.
Officers with the Grand Junction Police Department were dispatched to a report of stolen vehicle from 2996 D Road at approximately 2:20pm. The reporting party stated that his red Kia sedan had been stolen from the parking lot of the liquor store and that his five year old nephew was in the car when it was stolen. Law enforcement officers with the Grand Junction Police Department, the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office, and the Colorado State Patrol responded to the area immediately and began investigating, including speaking to people on scene and obtaining video evidence from the store surveillance system.
Approximately 30 minutes after the initial report, the stolen vehicle was located, unoccupied, in the Spyglass subdivision in Orchard Mesa. Emergency information was sent out to residents in the area, as well as those who live in between the location where the vehicle was stolen and where it was recovered. Information, including a photo of the suspect obtained from surveillance video, was shared via social media to generate tips and leads from the public.
Ultimately, after 2 ½ hours of searching, the reporting party admitted that he lied about a child being in the car when it was stolen and that no kidnapping had occurred. Arvis Deacons-Sanders, 37, was arrested for charges of Obstruction, False Reporting, and Attempt to Influence a Public Servant.
Based on information obtained in the course of the investigation, law enforcement was able to locate and arrest Alexander Prohaska, 32, for the theft of the vehicle. He will be charged with Motor Vehicle Theft and other charges may follow.
This incident required approximately 30 personnel from multiple law enforcement agencies for close to three hours. While we are so gratified that there is no missing child, we are thankful for the officers and community members who acted on the information they had and were swift and thorough in their response.