At the age of 17 Ohio-based activist Adam Hoover made a name for himself by being one of Ohio’s youngest agitators for LGBT equality and founding Marriage Equality Ohio. More recently Hoover has made his way back into the news under slightly less auspicious circumstances. Earlier this week Hoover took to Facebook in a panicked message claiming that he had been kidnapped and was trapped in a trunk:
“Please help me I'm in the trunk of my ford escort red 2000 gbh 2812. They said they are going to kill my family please call 911 I don't want them to hear me. Please please call. I don't want to die.”
His kidnappers, Hoover explained, warned him that they would kill him if he attempted to call for help. He posted his mother’s phone number and address, imploring anyone reading to reach out to her to help him. Hoover’s post was quickly brought to the attention of local police who soon found his car empty in nearby Miami Township. Hoover himself was found not long after, completely unharmed.
"Once we get him and determine he's okay, the investigation is able to proceed from there, including interviews, things like that. We start backtracking,” explained Green Township police Lieutenant Jim Vetter. “After a little while we started getting indications that maybe this did not happen as he said it happened and then after the investigation was concluded, determined it was in fact, fabricated.”
Hoover left the local sheriff's office early this morning after being charged with making false alarms, a misdemeanor in the first degree. Hoover has yet to comment on why he made false claims of being kidnapped but his mother took to Facebook seeking to assuage the concerns of friends and family.
"This is Adams mom Anna. Thank you for your support and prayers,” she wrote. “I have a special request. Social media is powerful. Could every[one] please remove posts and tags and give us some time to figure this all out. Adam has helped so many please help me help him."
Editor's Note: An earlier version of this article misidentified a YouTuber with the same name as the Adam Hoover written about above. The header image has been updated to properly identify Hoover.
