'She's not my mom': Authorities say girl's plea for help on CA highway was hoax

FRESNO, Calif. -- A young girl's plea for help that was spotted by drivers on a highway in Northern California turned out to be a hoax, the California Highway Patrol says.

Officials say they received reports of a girl holding up a sign reading, "Help me, she's not my mom!! Help!!" while in the back seat of a car on Highway 99 in Stockton.

Six patrol units, including a K9 unit, made a high-risk enforcement stop but soon learned the girl had made the story up "as a fun thing to do."

CHP says the mother was unaware of the note, and officers allowed them to leave.