EXCLUSIVE: Criminals looking for cash tell Santa Cruz dad his daughter was kidnapped

A Santa Cruz father was living every parent’s worst nightmare — or at least he thought he was, after receiving a call saying his daughter had been kidnapped.

Thomas Witz received a phone call Monday morning from someone claiming they kidnapped his daughter.

“They had the voice of someone screaming and they knew her name,” said Thomas Witz.

The person on the other line was demanding money be wired to him, or else.

“He said he had connections and that he would not take no for an answer. They even talked about molestation, which was really gross, just to keep your mind on edge,” said Witz.

On edge and desperate, Witz drove to the California Highway Patrol office in Aptos. Panicked he ran up to the door holding a sign that read, ‘Kidnapping, Emergency, Can Not Talk.’

“He was on the phone with this suspected kidnapper. We went into action, called the daughters school to verify she was at school. We learned in a twenty minute time period that it was a hoax,” said CHP Sergeant Grant Boles.

So how did someone, from another country know personal details about Thomas Witz daughter? CHP said they use social media.

“This is a scam we found that is going on in the Central Coast and throughout California. This is an important message to lock down social media sites. Make sure it’s secure, set to private settings,” said Boles.

For Witz he’s just relieved his daughter is okay.

“Still a little shakey, because it’s not a funny joke,” said Witz.