Watch CBS News

Sisters Charged With Hoax Kidnapping At Forest Lake Walmart

Wal-Mart Possible Kidnapping July 8
(credit: Forest Lake Police)

FOREST LAKE, Minn. (WCCO) -- Four sisters are in trouble with the law after allegedly staging a dramatic kidnapping outside the Forest Lake Walmart.

Surveillance video captured last month showed one of the girls jumping out of the trunk of a car. Another woman was seen grabbing her and forcing her back into the car.

Authorities said the girls' mother turned them into police. Three of the sisters have been charged with misdemeanors, but their names will not be released to the public because the fourth sister -- who police believe was the one stuffed into the trunk -- is a juvenile, and authorities don't want her to be identified by her relationship to the other three.

The sisters face counts of disorderly conduct as well as charges of careless driving. The juvenile suspect will face similar charges through the county attorney.

The Forest Lake Police Department says it cost them more than $7,000 to investigate the case.

Wal-Mart customer Jamie Lembke says that authorities should go easy on the sisters.

"If it's their first time doing stuff like this I don't think they should get too much for it being a prank," Lembke said.

But customer Ari Carlson says the humor was most likely lost on most of the startled witnesses.

"There's, I don't know, sensitive people and like people who have been through the same stuff," Carlson said. "When you see that, it's not something you would take as a joke at all. The only people that probably found it funny was them."

Watch The Surveillance Video Below

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.