Woman Disappears Again After Police Say They Think Her Alleged Kidnapping Was a Hoax

VALLEJO, Calif. (TheBlaze/AP) — Investigators in Northern California were suspicious from the start of a boyfriend's report of the violent abduction of his girlfriend for an $8,500 ransom. Still, they took it seriously for the two days she was missing.

On the same day Denise Huskins reappeared 400 miles away in Southern California, police revealed Wednesday that they had no evidence of any kidnapping, and instead believe the entire affair was a hoax concocted by the couple.

Denise Huskins is seen here covering her head. She was initially reported kidnapped and found two days later. Investigators couldn't substantiate claims and believe the abduction and ransom request was a hoax. Now, Huskins is missing again after initially indicating she would cooperate with an investigation. (Image source: KTLA-TV)

"It was such an incredible story, we initially had a hard time believing it," Vallejo police Lt. Kenny Park said of the abduction report from Aaron Quinn. "Upon further investigation we couldn't substantiate any of the things he was saying."

The investigation now turns to Huskins, 29, and Quinn, 30, to determine whether they did anything illegal, Park said. He would not say whether the two may have had any accomplices.

Just a few hours ago, the Vallejo Police Department wrote on Facebook that it had "been unable to contact either Ms. Huskins or family members" and they are "unaware of her location" at this time.

KNBC-TV elaborated that initially it seemed Huskins was going to be cooperative with investigators, but when a FBI jet was sent to bring her to Northern California for questioning, she couldn't be found.

Initially, the day began with what seemed to be a happy ending when Huskins showed up unharmed outside her father's apartment.

Denise Huskins pictured on the right. (Image source: KTLA-TV)

Her father, Mike Huskins, had traveled to Northern California to help with the search. He said she called him to say she had been dropped off at her mother's Huntington Beach house, about 400 miles from where she was last seen.

No one was home, so she told him she walked the 12 blocks to his home near the beach.

"She wasn't crying at all. She just said, 'Daddy, I'm OK,'" an emotional Mike Huskins told The Associated Press. "I feel very relieved. Can you imagine? You can't unless you've experienced it."

Despite being unable to find Denise Huskins at this point, Park said she had retained an attorney, but the lawyer's identity wasn't released.

Quinn had told police she was forcefully taken in the middle of the night from their Mare Island home in Vallejo early Monday. Quinn called police at about 2 p.m. to report she had been abducted.

Park said Quinn's waiting so long to inform them is part of what aroused suspicions. It was not clear whether police had had contact with Quinn since they decided the case was a hoax. Park said he was "free on his own" for now.

Police expressed disgust at the resources the two squandered — saying over 40 detectives had worked on the case — and the fear they instilled in the community over what was reported as random violence.

A police officer stands at the location where a missing woman was found in Huntington Beach, Calif., on Wednesday, March 25, 2015. Denise Huskins whose boyfriend reported that intruders abducted her from their San Francisco Bay Area home and held her for ransom was found safe Wednesday at her father's Southern California home, police said. (AP/Damian Dovarganes) 

"Devoting all of our resources 24 hours a day in a wild goose chase it's a tremendous loss," Park said. "It's disappointing, it's disheartening. The fact that we wasted all of these resources for nothing, it's upsetting."

Late Wednesday at the two-story wooden house where the abduction was reported, a bouquet of plastic flowers and a candle sat outside. The lights were on inside but it didn't appear anyone was home.

On Tuesday, the San Francisco Chronicle received an email from an anonymous person claiming to be holding the 29-year-old woman. The person wrote that she would be returned safely Wednesday, the newspaper reported.

"We will send a link to her location after she has been dropped off. She will be in good health and safe while she waits," the email read. "Any advance on us or our associates will create a dangerous situation for Denise. Wait until she is recovered and then proceed how you will. We will be ready."

The email included an audio file of a woman identifying herself as Denise Huskins, who mentioned Tuesday's airliner crash in the French Alps to verify she was alive. Mike Huskins confirmed the voice in the file was his daughter's, the Chronicle reported.

Park said they had asked the Chronicle to hold off on revealing they had received the email until police could verify it was Huskins' voice, which they did.

Denise Huskins works as a physical therapist at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Vallejo. She moved to the area in June from Southern California.

Her uncle, Jeff Kane, described her as a person of sterling character, saying she is career-oriented, independent and strong. "She's a good girl, not into any bad things," he said.

The Vallejo Police Department wrote on Facebook that it will "request either state or federal charges" if the couple is found committing criminal activity.

"Today, there is no evidence to support the claims that this was a stranger abduction or an abduction at all. Given the facts that have been presented thus far, this event appears to be an orchestrated event and not a crime," the department said.