On the night of November 13, Pinal County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a report of a missing person from San Tan Valley, AZ. The reporting party stated her son, Justin Sarten, age 22 of San Tan Valley, was sending text messages to his girlfriend saying he had been kidnapped while in Tempe.
Sarten reported to law enforcement the vehicle he was traveling in while allegedly kidnapped was traveling south on the 202. Due to the locations reported by Sarten’s text messages, the Arizona Department of Public Safety, Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, Tempe Police Department and Pinal County Sheriff’s Office all responded attempting to locate the vehicle.
At one point, while still on the 202 near Ellsworth Rd., he even called 9-1-1 to enable authorities to obtain his location by pinging his phone.
After having sent additional text messages indicating his location within Queen Creek, Sarten advised that the vehicle stopped at Walmart on Hunt Highway in San Tan Valley. Though already en route, Deputies from Maricopa County and Pinal County and Officers from DPS were advised of the vehicle stopping and drove Code 3 to the location.
Sarten and three black males were located within the store and quickly separated. The three suspects were detained and law enforcement began to interview each of the four. The three suspects denied kidnapping Sarten and stated he was with them on his own free will.
When initially interviewed, Sarten told Deputies that he went to Mesa to fill out job applications with $3.00 on his person. Once done, he stated that he went to donate plasma at a blood donation center at Broadway and Rural. He stated to law enforcement that he received a voucher for $240 for the plasma donation and went to a nearby gas station to cash the voucher. Sarten then accused the three of attempting to take the money and kidnapping him when he refused to turn it over.
While his interview was being conducted, law enforcement were advised the Tempe Police Department was en route and would assume responsibility for the investigation, since that is where the alleged kidnapping took place.
In the meantime, Sarten consented to a search of his person and Deputies found $360, with three newer style $100 denomination bills. Law enforcement, who were already suspicious of the amount of money he claimed to receive from plasma donation, became more suspicious as this amount was more than the $243 he originally claimed he would have.
Upon speaking with one of the kidnapping suspects, Deputies learned the three offered to pay Sarten if he would buy cell phones with money they provided and give them the phones he bought. The suspect also stated they gave Sarten $400, in four newer style $100 denomination bills.
At this point, Detectives from the Tempe Police Department arrived to assume the lead on the investigation, but after learning of the suspects using Sarten for the buying of cell phones, Deputies again asked Sarten about his story and his facts began to change.
Tempe Detectives interviewed Sarten and, at that point, he admitted to entering the vehicle voluntarily.
This admission completed Tempe’s investigation of the three suspects for the alleged kidnapping but Pinal County Deputies arrested Sarten for false reporting to law enforcement.
Sheriff Babeu stated, “Last night, four law enforcement agencies and our resources were spent in an attempt to quickly and safely rescue this 20-year-old, who we believed may have been kidnapped. Upon learning of his reckless behavior, which frightened his family and diverted our resources from other emergency calls, suspect Sarten learned that there are serious consequences for crying wolf with law enforcement.”