Vivid imagination

A 12-year-old Magalia boy, apparently looking to shirk his family-assigned chores, caught the attention of Butte County Sheriff’s Office April 2 when he called to report he’d been kidnapped.

According to a BCSO press release, the youth called at 4:45 p.m. and said that he’d been chopping wood at his home on Pinehurst Way when he blacked out. When he regained consciousness he found himself sitting in the woods with a man who threatened him with a gun. The boy said he threw a rock at the man and was able to run away. He gave a description of both the man and his vehicle.

The BCSO launched an investigation that raised some suspicion as to the validity of the reported incident. Eventually, the kid admitted he’d made the story up to get out of doing his chores. The BSCO turned the matter over to the boy’s parents for final resolution.