Father of girl responsible for abduction hoax stands by daughter

PENN HILLS, Pa. — After a 911 call sent police frantically searching for a white van involved in an alleged abduction of a teenage girl Tuesday in Penn Hills, investigators determined that the caller made the whole story up.

Several police departments assisted in the search for a teenage girl after a 13-year-old girl called 911 claiming to have seen the teenager get pulled into a white van after getting off of a school bus on Frankstown Avenue.

Authorities said they spent about five hours looking for the teenager before concluding that the entire episode started with a false report.

The father of the girl who called 911, Alan Ricketts, told Channel 11’s Cara Sapida that his daughter isn’t a liar.

“She’s 13. I don’t believe she went this far on a false statement. I’m sorry,” Ricketts said.

Ricketts said he and his daughter were questioned for several hours Tuesday night.

“She was scared. I know my daughter more than anyone. I know for a fact something took place yesterday. I’m not thinking my daughter lied,” Ricketts said.

Investigators said they are considering filing charges against the girl.

WPXI