NEW: Bizarre Twist In Disappearance Of ‘MAGA Teen’ Changes Everything

The saga behind a missing Florida teen with a Make America Great Again cap, four Hispanic individuals, and a rumored abduction has only gotten stranger since he was found safe on Friday.

What began as a statewide amber alert for Caden Speight, 17, morphed into a denouncement by Marion County police about “unfounded” news reports that he was abducted by four individuals who witnesses described as Hispanic. By Friday afternoon, police reported that Speight was found “alive and well” after he biked dozens of miles away to another city.

Now, investigators believe the MAGA-loving young man created the ordeal out of a “hoax” to gain national recognition.

Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods stated that there were “red flags” early in the investigation, suggesting that Speight intentionally abandoned his car at Marion County Airport, hopping on his bike and letting authorities believe he was abducted.

The young man “simply rode away towards Williston while the rest of us were left to think the worst,” Woods explained.

Incredibly, it appears Speight shot himself in the leg with a handgun in order to try and substantiate his story.

“To continue the ruse, Caden, who had a handgun with him since the beginning of all of this, chose to shoot himself in the leg,” the sheriff revealed.

“There is zero chance that Caden’s gunshot wound came from any type of assailant,” he added.

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The ruse put tremendous pressure on Woods’s deputies, who he said were working “in overdrive to solve this case” amid a national uproar over the possible kidnapping of Speight for wearing a MAGA hat.

During the investigation, other witnesses came forward disputing Speight’s version of events. Video also captured Speight biking away from the airport with a tent and camping supplies that he purchased minutes earlier at a nearby Walmart.

The teen may face charges, Woods confirmed.

“Many of you have asked, ‘Will Caden be facing any charges? What about the taxpayer cost of this large-scale investigation and search?” Woods said.

“I can tell you those items are not off the table at this point.”

Woods said that Speight’s parents have “refused to allow my detectives to speak with him” since he returned home on Friday.

Filing a false police report in Florida is a first-degree misdemeanor or a second or third-degree felony, the Daily Mail reports.

As he allegedly biked to Williston, Speight’s family made a desperate plea for his safe return, with his sister writing on social media, “God I just want him home. I can’t sleep eat or do anything not knowing where he is and if he is safe. Please don’t stop searching or looking.”

“There is still little to no information on what happened or where he could be. I don’t understand why this has happened. Just bring him home.”