Officers from multiple Alabama police departments assisted a stranded and robbed young man with autism on his journey from Montgomery back to his home in Indiana.

In a bizarre twist of events, the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office revealed that the many of the details in the story the man gave to police were false.

According to a Facebook post from the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office, police officers from the Montgomery Police Department first made contact with the young man, Willinaus Bolin, at a Montgomery gas station.

Bolin said that he was on his way to Florida with friends when they pushed him out of the car and robbed him, leaving him with no phone and no money.

Officers attempted to get in touch with his family in Indianapolis, and were told by Bolin that his father was killed during 9/11 and his mother, a diabetic, was disabled with only one leg. He had no other family.

The Montgomery Police Officer transported him to a waffle house in Vestavia Hills. What followed was a cross-country chain of kindness from several police departments working to get the man back home. The Vestavia Hills Police Department picked him up and attempted to purchase a bus ticket and flight, but none were available, so they sent him to Fultondale Police Department. 

Fultondale PD then transported him to Cullman County Sheriff’s Office, who linked up with Morgan County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Ferguson. Cullman County Deputy Dickerson then purchased something for Bolin to eat and drink. 

Sgt. Ferguson brought Bolin to Lt. Flanagan with Limestone County Sheriff’s Office. Before leaving Bolin, Ferguson slipped him a $20 dollar bill.

A good Samaritan truck driver eventually completed the last leg of the journey, transporting Bolin from Nashville to his mother and sister in Indiana.

While officers are happy to report that Bolin is safe and sound back home, they did determine that most of the personal details Bolin gave them were false – his father is apparently alive and his mother had both of her legs. In addition, his name is actually Sangre.

“We only have bits and pieces of the story, which we have updated as new information has come in,” Morgan County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Mike Swafford said. “Bolin’s family informed us that he was diagnosed with autism, but his name was actually Sangre. … The name he used belonged to his brother.”

The Facebook post by the sheriff’s office was updated to say: “We have since learned that some of this young man’s story may be inaccurate, if not an outright lie?‍♂️. It appears his mother still has both legs and his deceased father…is still alive. However, our agency, and others, acted in good faith based on the information we were given and we were happy to do it….and would do it again. Unfortunately…(this may shock you) we get lied to a lot but as they say…no good deed goes unpunished.”