An Arizona man allegedly tied his own hands behind his back, stuffed his mouth with a purple bandanna, threw himself near a train track and made up a kidnapping story, all for the sake of getting out of work. The accused employee, Brandon Soules, was arrested last week on a charge of false reporting to law enforcement, The New York Times reported.

After a week of investigation, police said the 19-year-old admitted that he had made up the kidnapping story. Officers first found the man on Feb. 10, when they responded to a call about an injured person who was going in and out of consciousness.

Police spotted Soules near train tracks, houses and a city water tower in Coolidge, outside of Phoenix, with his hands tied and mouth stuffed while lying on his side on the ground. Soules said the kidnapping happened after he completed an errand that morning and returned home, where two masked men abducted him near his vehicle, struck him in the back of his head and knocked him unconscious.

Nineteen-year-old Brandon Soules was discovered by police near a water tower with his hands tied behind his back and a rag and belt in his mouth. He said two men knocked him out. After a thorough investigation, Brandon admitted he'd made the whole thing up to get out of work. pic.twitter.com/V1QX2qLyFa

— Oddee.com (@OddeeBlog) February 24, 2021

The mysterious kidnappers allegedly “drove him around in a vehicle before they left him in the area where he was found.” Adding to his story, Soules said the kidnappers were looking for him because his father had a large amount of money hidden throughout the desert.

While detectives reviewed surveillance video of the area and interviewed leads, hospital records showed that Soules didn't have any concussions or injuries to his head.

Police eventually determined that the story didn’t add up.

“His story was fabricated and no kidnapping or assault occurred,” investigators said.

The man worked at the Tire Factory, a car shop where he installed tires and drove around the area to pick up parts for the store. According to ABC15, police confirmed that Soules has been fired from his job.

Brandon Soules

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