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Deputies: Cheating husband's faked kidnapping leads to manhunt

News Channel 8 photo by CHIP OSOWSKI

This is the home of Wikler Moran-Mora, who is charged with giving a false report to law enforcement.

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By JOSH POLTILOVE | The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 27, 2009

Updated: 08/27/2009 11:26 am

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• Hoax leads to arrest

Wikler Moran-Mora

TAMPA - Wikler Moran-Mora texted his wife to say he had been kidnapped and wouldn't be let go until he gave his captors money.

His worried wife called law enforcement.

He texted her again, saying, "Don't call, take it easy, they said they will let me go," and "Everything is alright, I'll be home soon," a Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office report states.

After a full-scale manhunt, deputies tracked him down. Turns out, it was a hoax – Moran-Mora faked his kidnapping so he could cheat on his wife, sheriff's spokesman J.D. Callaway said.

The incident began shortly after midnight Wednesday. About 6 a.m. Wednesday, Moran-Mora, 38, of Tampa, was arrested and charged with giving a false report to law enforcement. He has been released on $500 bail.

Twenty deputies — including canine units — searched for Moran-Mora on Wednesday morning.

Deputies traced Moran-Mora through his cell phone and found him at a 7-Eleven on West Waters Avenue. He told deputies he is a church elder for a Seventh Day Adventist church on Nebraska Avenue and had sent his wife the texts even though he had never been in danger.

Moran-Mora declined to comment today other than to say the situation with his wife has been resolved. His wife said she had nothing to do with what happened but confirmed she received text messages from him.

Callaway said the search cost $4,000.

"Thank God we didn't have a legitimate emergency that would have required those resources," he said.

News Channel 8 reporters Chip Osowski and Katie Coronado contributed to this report. Reporter Josh Poltilove can be reached at (813) 259-7691.

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