Last Saturday, just after 9:00 pm, the Knoxville Police Department was alerted by a woman claiming that her vehicle had been stolen from the parking lot of the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store and Restaurant. The caller also reportedly stated that a 10-year-old girl was sitting in the back seat when the car was taken.
The Oak Ridge Police Department, Airwatch, and Criminal Investigations Division investigators joined the Knoxville police in their frenzied attempt to locate the stolen vehicle holding the allegedly missing child.
It was reported that a traffic camera caught a vehicle believed to be the Mazda they were seeking, and law enforcement tracked the car to an apartment complex nearby.
When officers came into contact with the suspect, identified as 32-year-old Randall Rhodey, they reported that he told them he did take the Mazda from the Cracker Barrel, but that there was never a child in the car.
Rhodey was placed under arrest for the allegations, and he has been charged for suspicion of auto theft.
Investigators learned that the child the woman allegedly claimed was kidnapped during the auto theft was in the custody of her foster parents who live about an hour from Knoxville.
Agents from the Criminal Investigations Division made the trip to Scott County, where the girl resides and found that she was with her guardians, who said the child was with them the entire day.
Fox was confronted about the claim she made regarding the disappearance of the girl, and she was taken into custody for suspicion of false reporting.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a crime, Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.