PHOENIX (AP) — Department of Public Safety officers spent Sunday afternoon chasing a rental truck down Interstate 10 after a caller claimed the truck had 70 illegal immigrant hostages and three heavily armed men aboard.
The whole thing was a hoax according to state police.
DPS said the driver, 40-year-old Michael John Cook of Mesa, claimed his family was being held hostage at another location by human smugglers and if he didn’t get his human cargo to Mexico, his family would be killed.
DPS and Gila River police finally got the driver to pull over near Casa Grande after officers rammed the vehicle and used spike strips.
The rental moving truck turned out to be empty.
Cook was booked into Pinal County Jail and faces charges of unlawful flight, aggravated assault on a police officer, endangerment, criminal damage, DUI and drug charges.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.
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