Man charged after joke text prompts investigation

CHICAGO – A suburban Chicago man has been charged with filing a false police report after authorities say he jokingly told friends he was kidnapped.

Matthew Barker of St. Charles faces a felony charge. The 32-year-old was arrested early Saturday.

Police say Barker and his band had finished playing in Chicago when Barker said he was going to a nearby store for a few minutes. However, he didn’t return quickly and sent a text message to a friend that he’d been kidnapped and police should be contacted.

Authorities say that after friends couldn’t reach him, they called police.

– Wire report