Alleged abduction ruled a hoax intended to show online

The incident was caught on security cameras.

May 24, 2018, 2:37 PM

An alleged abduction in a Walmart parking lot was a hoax, Virginia police said.

Chesterfield County police began investigating the apparent abduction around 9 p.m. Sunday.

Several witnesses saw a sedan pull up to the entrance of the Walmart, police said in a statement. A man approached the car as the trunk opened and a woman jumped out and ran, police said.

Two more men got out of the vehicle, chased the girl and appeared to force her back in the car, according to the police statement.

PHOTO: Police in Chesterfield County, Va., say the abduction that happened in a Walmart Parking lot on May 20, 2018, was a hoax.
Police in Chesterfield County, Va., say the abduction that happened in a Walmart Parking lot on May 20, 2018, was a hoax.
Chesterfield County Police Dept.
PHOTO: Police in Chesterfield County, Va., say the abduction that happened in a Walmart Parking lot on May 20, 2018, was a hoax.
Police in Chesterfield County, Va., say the abduction that happened in a Walmart Parking lot on May 20, 2018, was a hoax.
Chesterfield County Police Dept.

The incident was caught on security cameras.

After the initial reports of an abduction, the woman went to the police department to say the incident was fake and planned by the people involved, all friends, police said.

They were 19 or 20 years old, police said, adding that they were out having dinner before heading to the Walmart parking lot to fake the abduction.

They wanted to film the event and the reaction from witnesses to post online, police said.

The event is still under investigation.