OAKLAND PARK, Fla. — An 11-year-old boy lied about almost being abducted by a man on Sunday in Oakland Park, authorities said.

According to Broward Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Gerdy St. Louis, deputies responded to the 4100 block of Northwest 21st Avenue just before 5:15 p.m. after receiving a call about an attempted kidnapping.

When deputies arrived, they met with the boy’s guardian, who claimed that a man tried to abduct the boy, authorities said.

According to St. Louis, the boy told detectives that a man who was dressed in all black and was riding a purple bike tried to take him after placing a hand around his mouth.

“Based on the juvenile’s initial account of the incident, his demeanor, and the level of details he provided, deputies found the child’s claims to be credible,” St. Louis wrote in a news release. “The area was canvased, and a BOLO (Be-On-the-Look-Out) was distributed to surrounding agencies. Media was also immediately contacted given the serious nature of the crime.”

But St. Louis said detectives later discovered that an attempted kidnapping did not occur, but a man in the area had frightened the boy, “which may have caused him to hide and fabricate the incident.”

It’s unclear why the child became frightened by the man.

St. Louis said detectives are continuing to investigate the incident.

“Detectives want to remind the public of the seriousness of making a false report,” she wrote in the news release. “Doing so is not only illegal, but it wastes valuable resources and diverts them from legitimate emergencies. Parents are urged to speak to their children about the seriousness of making a false report and the negative impact it can have on the community.”

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