PLATTEKILL, N.Y. (January 25, 2013)--A 31-year-old man in upstate New York faked his own kidnapping to extort ransom from his girlfriend, police said.

Police in Plattekill in Ulster County said the man, Mark Rodriguez, left for work in his girlfriend's car on Jan. 14.

The woman later received a telephone call from a stranger saying her boyfriend had been kidnapped and she needed to hand over $2,000 or he would be killed, authorities said.

She contacted police, who tracked other calls that were made to her.

Police began a search and found Rodriguez and an accomplice inside the girlfriend's car in the city of Newburgh.

He was unharmed.

Rodriguez was charged with attempted grand larceny.

He was free on bond Friday.