A man was charged with a felony Sunday for allegedly claiming that his sport utility vehicle was carjacked with a 6-year-old asleep in the backseat, a story authorities say he told in hopes of expediting the return of his Lincoln Navigator.

The claim prompted an Amber Alert, and local police and the FBI spent several hours searching for the boy.

“We were concerned about this child,” said Houston homicide Sgt. M. Dillingham.

Darrell Dishon Jones, 35, has been charged with filing a false report, a felony that could result in up to two years in state jail.

He allegedly claimed that a young cousin from New York named Kevin was in the back of his red 2000 Navigator when two armed Hispanic men forced him from the vehicle at a gas station in the 7700 block of Bellaire around 4:30 a.m. Sunday.

“As the day went on, it was becoming clear this was a hoax,” Dillingham said. “He made up a fairy tale to get his car back quicker. There was a considerable amount of manpower put into this investigation.”

Homicide officials launched an Amber Alert across several counties in Texas, fearing the child's life might be in danger.

During hours of questioning, Jones was largely uncooperative, failing to show concern for the child and claiming he was unable to provide phone numbers of addresses for his family members, officials said.

“He kept saying, ‘Why is homicide involved?' ”

After five or six hours at police headquarters in downtown Houston, he admitted the deception, Dillingham said.

paige.hewitt@chron.com