Woman Charged After False Child Abduction Report Triggers Amber Alert

St. Louis, Mo. (KFMO) - A 25-year-old woman is facing charges after St. Louis Metropolitan Police say she falsely reported that a vehicle had been stolen with her one-year-old child inside, prompting an Amber Alert and a large-scale law enforcement response.

Police identified the woman as Brianna Mathis, who has been charged with knowingly making a false report that triggers an Amber Alert and making a false report.

According to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, officers responded to the area of South Fourth Street and Chouteau Avenue around 10:30 p.m. Sunday after receiving a report that a Dodge Charger had been stolen from a Phillips 66 gas station. The report indicated Mathis' one-year-old child was inside the vehicle.

The department's Real-Time Crime Center used multiple resources, including several camera systems, to track the vehicle. Police said the Charger was located traveling eastbound on Walnut Street from Memorial Drive.

An Amber Alert was subsequently issued as officers worked to locate the vehicle and determine the child's whereabouts.

Shortly after the Amber Alert was issued, police said a man inside the vehicle called 911. According to investigators, the man told dispatchers there was no child inside the vehicle and said he would surrender to police. Officers later located the vehicle in St. Charles near Highway 370 and North Third Street. The vehicle was seized and the suspect was taken into custody.

As detectives continued investigating, police determined the Dodge Charger had not been stolen. Investigators also determined that Mathis did not own the vehicle.

Detectives contacted Mathis' relatives, which led investigators to the Lincoln County area. Around 2:30 a.m. Monday, officials confirmed the one-year-old child was safe. Police said the reported abduction had been fabricated. Mathis was taken into custody and is now facing the additional charge related to knowingly making a false report that triggers an Amber Alert.

Investigators also determined Mathis had been using drugs and was experiencing substance-use issues.

The investigation remains ongoing as detectives work to determine the circumstances surrounding the false report.

The incident is the second reported child-abduction hoax in the St. Louis area in recent months. In March, two women in Affton were charged after police said they falsely reported a child abduction. That incident also triggered an Amber Alert and a large-scale search.