Detectives said the false report set off a massive search effort that wasted resources.

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — A Florida man is being accused of making up a story of a girl being kidnapped, setting off a massive search that wasted law enforcement resources.

Hollywood police say Wilker Joseph, 27, called police shortly before 9 a.m. Feb. 12 and said he had seen two Hispanic males force a Hispanic girl, between the age of 12 and 17, into a truck.

Police contacted the Broward County Sheriff's Office, the FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service and started a street-by-street search. Schools checked to see if there were any students missing and worked with parents to locate anyone who might have been accounted for.

A notice was put out across several counties for the suspects and vehicle.

After going through video and audio evidence, detectives said they determined Joseph had made up the kidnapping account. He was arrested Tuesday and charged with making a false report, which is a misdemeanor.

Contacted Wednesday by The Orlando Sentinel, Wilker said he was hiring a lawyer.

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