Manitoba man lied about abduction: N.D. police

A Manitoba man, Roderick Garson, 37, has been accused of falsely claiming he was kidnapped and taken across the Canada-U.S. border. U.S. authorities arrested Garson in a county jail near Alexandria, Minn., after he was charged with falsely reporting a crime. The incident occurred over the weekend, with Garson initially reporting he had been abducted with a weapon and taken across the border.

Following a coordinated investigation involving local, state, federal, and Canadian law enforcement, investigators determined that Garson fabricated an elaborate account of being abducted. No weapons were found during the investigation, and it is now believed that both men knew one another. U.S. authorities are also reviewing the incident for any potential federal violations.

Garson is currently being held in a county jail near Alexandria, Minn., and investigators believe he escaped from his 31-year-old unnamed captor after running into a local store claiming he had escaped. Law enforcement agencies responded to the report with the seriousness it warranted when a person's safety may be at risk. The investigation involved significant coordination and resources across international and state lines, and investigators appreciate the work of every agency involved in quickly investigating the report.