Attorney For Boyfriend Who Reported Kidnap-For-Ransom Denies Hoax Allegations By Police
HUNTINGTON BEACH (CBSLA.com) — A woman who was reported to have been kidnapped in Northern California and was later found safe in Orange County arrived Thursday in Vallejo to speak with police detectives.
Denise Huskins was reported missing by her boyfriend Aaron Quinn, 30, who said she was kidnapped overnight Monday from his Mare Island home in the western part of Vallejo. He said a ransom demand in the amount of $8,500 was communicated to him.
Responding to allegations by the Vallejo Police Department that the incident was a hoax, an attorney for Quinn told reporters Thursday: "There seems to be a stream of blatant lies coming out about our client, about the victim."
Dan Russo, Quinn's attorney, said his client was bound and drugged in the couple's home during the abduction of his girlfriend.
Russo says Quinn did not immediately call police because at least two kidnappers "forced him to drink something" they said was a drug, the Associated Press reported.
Quinn reportedly gave a blood sample to police to prove he had been drugged but Vallejo police Lt. Kenny Park told reporters that after officers interviewed Quinn, they couldn't substantiate the claims. Russo said police have said that it will take three days to get the results of that blood test.
Huskins, 29, called her father early Wednesday morning to say she was safe and was dropped off at her mother's Huntington Beach home, according to a family member.
After she discovered her mother was not home, Huskins reportedly walked to her father's apartment on 19th Street, which was also vacant because he had traveled to Vallejo to assist in her search.
Neighbors took her in and notified police.
Detectives questioned Huskins at the neighbors' home before releasing her to a relative who took her to an undisclosed location.
Late Wednesday evening, Vallejo police expressed doubt that the incident was a kidnapping.
"Today, there is no evidence to support the claims that this was a stranger abduction or an abduction at all," police said. "Given the facts that have been presented thus far, this event appears to be an orchestrated event and not a kidnapping."
Park said the Vallejo Police Department devoted more than 40 police detectives and more than 100 support personnel to assist in the investigation.
"That is a tremendous amount of resources that in my opinion was wasted," he said. "Mr. Quinn and Ms. Huskins has plundered valuable resources away from our community and has taken the focus away from the true victims of our community while instilling fear amongst our community members."
Police said the investigation will now focus on Quinn and Huskins who has also retained an attorney.
But Huskins' family members say they are confident once her story is told to detectives, they will believe she was kidnapped.
"We love our niece and we are happy that she's safe, and we believe in her and the truth will come out," her aunt said.
The investigation is continuing.
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