Police: Man Used Texts to Dad in Faking Own Kidnapping Threat

A 22-year-old local resident allegedly used text messages to indicate to his father that he was in imminent danger and was about to be kidnapped if his dad didn’t provide a $150 debt that was owed to an unnamed person, police said.

Sgt. Lowell DePalma, spokesman for the , said the texts were sent from Timothy Nyren’s phone and claimed to be someone else who was with him and told Nyren’s father, David Nyren, to “bring the money to the parking lot between Lowes and Target or he will be ours.”

“The texts left David scared for his son. They told him not to get police involved and he wouldn’t have if he hadn’t been pulled over for a motor vehicle violation,” DePalma said.

Nyren, of 625 West St., was booked on charges of falsely reporting an incident, second-degree breach of peace, interfering with an officer and providing a false statement after turning himself in on an active warrant Friday.

Police said they first became involved in the investigation after pulling David Nyren, 55, over for speeding along Hart Street on Feb. 26. When officers approached Nyren, he was visibly upset and showed them text messages indicating that his son may be in trouble.

DePalma said the texts demanded that Nyren bring $150 to the and parking lot off Executive Drive in 20 minutes or they would do something bad to him. Nyren responded that it would take 30 minutes to stop by the bank and get cash first and the alleged person agreed to wait.

Officers followed Nyren to the parking lot, but no one was waiting. He texted his son’s phone again and was told that the drop-off point was relocated to the on Queen Street, according to a police report.

When officers arrived at Valero, however, they found only Timothy Nyren there, waiting in his car, the report said.

“Timothy told officers he was confronted by a man in a black Ford Explorer who showed him a gun and told him that he would shoot him if he didn’t produce the money,” DePalma said. “Officers searched for the vehicle but were unable to find any matching the description and Timothy was unable to provide a license plate number.”

When officers asked Timothy Nyren to come in for an interview on March 5, the report said he recanted his story and told detectives he had been the one who sent the messages. Detectives said Nyren admitted to having issues with heroin and was looking for drug money.

Nyren was released after posting a $10,000 bond, according to court records, and is due in Bristol Superior Court for arraignment on April 9.