Man charged after joke text prompts investigation

A St. Charles man was arrested on Friday after sending text messages that falsely claimed he had been kidnapped, Chicago Police said on Sunday.

Matthew Barker, 32, of the 34800 block of South James, was charged with one felony count of disorderly conduct for false reporting, according to police.

Around 11:30 p.m. on Friday, Barker made statements to a friend via text message claiming he had been kidnapped and asking them to call the police.

After several attempts to contact Barker were unsuccessful, friends called police which prompted a multi-unit investigation into his disappearance, according to a release.

Barker was located several hours later, safe and unharmed. He reportedly told police that the text was meant as a joke.

Barker was released on a $10,000 bond on Sunday, according to Cook County jail records.

His next court appearance is Dec. 21.