Police: Kidnapping appears to be 'orchestrated event'

Samantha Cohen and Ty Chandler | KXTV-TV, Sacramento, Calif.

Show Caption Hide Caption Police: Kidnapping hoax led us on 'wild goose chase' Investigators are perturbed for the manpower wasted on what they're calling an "orchestrated event" for an $8500 ransom, and not an actual kidnapping.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A story of early morning abduction, a ransom and a woman missing for days may not be what it seems. Investigators Wednesday night said it appears the reported kidnapping of Denise Huskins was an "orchestrated event" and "not a kidnapping."

Huskins, who lived in Vallejo reportedly with her boyfriend, went missing Monday morning, launching a large-scale search effort using officers from several agencies around California.

She was found in Southern California on Wednesday morning; Vallejo Police say she has retained a lawyer and has not spoken with investigators.

Vallejo Police say Huskins spoke briefly with an officer from the Huntington Beach Police Department after she was located, and reportedly there was an indication she would talk to investigators.

Lt. Kenny Park of Vallejo Police appeared visibly upset as he addressed the media Wednesday night and said Huskins and her boyfriend, Aaron Quinn owe the community an apology.

"If you can imagine devoting all of our resource, 24 hours a day, on what I would classify as a wild goose chase, it is a tremendous loss," he said.

Park said Vallejo police worked in collaboration with the FBI since Monday to find Huskins, and assigned 40 detectives to her case. He said there also was 100 support personnel assisting in the search. For a city that emerged from bankruptcy a few years ago, this search was costly.

"The fact that we essentially wasted all of these resources for nothing is really upsetting," he declared.

Huskins' uncle, Jeff Kane said that Park's comments were reckless and absurd. Kane said he spoke to his niece and that she is very shaken up and had gone through one of the most traumatic things a person can go through.

Kane said Park will have "egg on his face," when the truth comes out.

The search for Huskins began Monday afternoon, after police received a report of a kidnapping for an $8,500 ransom from her live-in boyfriend. According to Huskins' uncle, there was an 11-hour gap between the alleged abduction and Quinn's call to the police.

Park said they started to worry that Huskins was indeed in danger and put all of their resources into her search. An e-mail and audio recording sent to the San Francisco Chronicle intensified that concern. In the recording, a voice identified by family members as Huskins, said, "I'm kidnapped, otherwise I'm fine."

Huntington Beach police contacted Vallejo police to inform them that Huskins was safe and sound. Still, investigators had many questions.

Vallejo and FBI officers arranged for a jet to bring Huskins from Huntington Beach to Northern California for an interview, and to return home.

"Vallejo Police and the FBI made arrangements to have Ms. Huskins flown to Northern California in a jet. As of right now, we have not heard from Ms. Huskins and are no longer in contact with any of her family members," Park said.

Huskins' uncle disputed this claim and said his family has been very cooperative and accessible to the police. He would not say where his niece is or why she refused to fly to the Bay area to meet with detectives.

Park said they are still investigating to determine whether anyone other than Huskins and Quinn were involved. He also said the district attorney will decide whether the two should face criminal charges.