Oakwood man arrested in false hostage situation report

An Oakwood man remains in the Hall County Jail Tuesday after Hall County Sheriff's Deputies said he reported a false hostage situation.

 

Christian Sanchez, 19, was charged with false public alarm and is being held on $2,400 bond.

 

Hall County Sheriff's spokesman Derreck Booth said deputies responded to a "suspicious activity" call that turned out to be a large house party, with vehicles blocking the road, early Saturday morning. Deputies had to shut down the road to disperse cars.

 

While responding to the home in the 4300 block of Thompson Bridge Road, Sanchez reportedly approached deputies and told them he saw a gun and a female being choked and held hostage in a vehicle behind a deputy's patrol car, which Sanchez reportedly had blocked in.

 

"[He] approached deputies and told them verbally he observed a gun in the vehicle he was blocking in, and a female being choked as well as being held hostage," said Booth. "Deputies immediately intervened and changed their attention from dispersing the party to this allegation."

 

Booth said when deputies intervened, however, Sanchez left in his car.

 

"There was a language barrier and a party goer actually volunteered to translate for deputies, and they were able to safety secure the male passenger of the alleged-hostage vehicle," said Booth. "Deputies quickly determined that... his allegations were false and unfounded, and actually the result of a prior road rage incident."

 

Booth said no firearm was found, either. He said deputies believe Sanchez and the occupants of the other vehicle were involved in the road rage incident, and that the car Sanchez blocked in wasn't even attending the party.

 

"They were just traveling northbound on Thompson Bridge Road and came up on the highway being shut down to break up this party," said Booth. He said they have conflicting reports on whether Sanchez attended the party or not.

 

Sanchez was stopped shortly after midnight Sunday when he drove back by the house as deputies were still handling the party situation, and Booth said he was arrested without incident.