Miscommunication spurs false kidnapping report

SEATTLE -- Reports of a man trying to kidnap two children from a Queen Anne Hill after school program were false, Seattle police said, and caused by a miscommunication among program administrators and parents.

Police sent out an alert Friday after a man came to the after school program Coe Elementary School and tried to check two children out of the program.  The man knew the names of the children, and said he was there on behalf of their father. But when the man never went to the administration building to sign out the children, staff grew suspicious and called police.

Police began a search for the man after the father allegedly said he never sent anyone to pick up his kids. But on Monday, detectives said the man was  indeed there on behalf of the children's father, and no abduction attempt ever occurred.

"After investigation of the incident, detectives have determined that an emergency contact was in fact attempting to pick up the children on behalf of their parents," Seattle police said. The children were not in any danger and detectives have closed the case."