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A man who told police that a carjacker stole his vehicle with his baby son still inside lied about the incident and will be charged with a felony, authorities said Tuesday.
In actuality, Stephen Tryban of Troy had voluntarily stopped his car and exited it to speak to a woman he knew, leaving his 7-month-old son in the backseat, Detroit city officials said in a press release. Someone then simply entered his vehicle and drove away.
"The Detroit Police Department wants the public to know that charges can be filed against you if you are untruthful about the circumstances of a crime," Detroit police said in the release. "Making a false report of a felony is a serious offense that can cause unnecessary police response, wasting resources that could be needed for emergencies."
On July 10, police responded to the area of Chalmers and Glenwood streets, on the city's east side, for a reported carjacking.
Tryban told officers he was stopped at a traffic light when a man pulled him out of his car, then entered it and drove away with the child still aboard, authorities said.
Michigan State Police found the car about an hour later, parked in a garage with the boy still in the backseat, authorities said. Though temperatures reached 84 degrees that day, police said the baby was safe and healthy after being examined at a local hospital.
The following day, investigators learned that Tryban had fabricated the carjacking. Police said the father was on a nearby porch, talking to a woman, when the suspect stole his car.
The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office has charged Tryban with false report of a felony, which is punishable by up to four years in prison.
He was arraigned Friday in Detroit's 36th District Court where he stood mute and a plea of not guilty was entered by the court on his behalf, according to online court records. Tryban was released on a personal bond and is scheduled to appear for a probable cause conference on Thursday.
Online court records do not list an attorney for him.
It wasn't immediately clear whether the police had yet found the car thief, though officials said the case remains under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call the Detroit Police Department’s Commercial Auto Theft Section at (313) 596-2555.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Dad lied about being carjacked, left his vehicle with baby inside: police
