The man who police say was falsely accused of snatching a child in Old Orchard Beach received death threats and is struggling to repair his reputation.
Eric Auger, 37, spent three weeks in jail after being charged with criminal restraint on June 22. A Texas family staying in a local campground said he had grabbed their 3-year-old son and started to run off. The father of the child said he confronted Auger who let the child go.
Old Orchard Beach police announced Monday that the charges against Auger were dropped and they are considering charges of filing a false report against the family that made the accusation.
“He has maintained his innocence from the beginning,” said Auger’s lawyer, Bernard Broder. “If the police had not continued to investigate and uncover additional and differing witness accounts, then we wouldn’t be where we are today.
“This is the first time I’ve represented someone in a felony matter where the allegations appear to have been fabricated,” he said. “The public needs to know the case has been dismissed and hopefully they’ll leave him alone.”
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