It seemed to police like a high-stakes kidnapping, complete with a missing son, a distraught father and suspects whose ransom demands grew increasingly desperate.

But by the end, police had devoted more than 15 hours -- and lost $10,000 -- in an extortion plot they said the son orchestrated himself, seeking money for outstanding debts.

Police on Tuesday were still searching for the son, Dominic "Big Boy" Fields, 23, of Wexford, another man, Anthony "Tooth" Hines, 25, of Homewood, and the cash.

"It was just a big waste of time, man hours and investigative funds that are just out there," police Assistant Chief Maurita Bryant said Tuesday, discussing the case for the first time since it began unfolding Sunday morning, when David Fields got a disturbing phone call about his son.

A man called his cell phone saying he had Mr. Fields' son and would kill him if he did not deliver $50,000 to a designated location, Chief Bryant said.

Mr. Fields didn't believe the caller at first, but grew concerned when he couldn't reach his son by cell phone and other family members couldn't find him, either.

The last time they had seen him was 4 a.m. Sunday, leaving the Trappers Club in East Liberty with friends. When he received another call from a man using his son's cell phone, Mr. Fields believed his son had been kidnapped.

"The father, who was very cooperative with police, was very distraught," Chief Bryant said. "He strongly believed someone had his son, and they were going to cause him harm."

As a band of detectives, a SWAT team and other police agencies started to investigate, the "kidnappers" called Mr. Fields repeatedly with demands and threatened to shoot his son if he did not deliver the money. Mr. Fields tried to stall them, saying he wanted to see his son before he delivered the money, Chief Bryant said.

"He said, 'I've got your money, I've got your money, I want my son,'" she said.

The suspects grew more and more desperate, the father more and more distraught, and the situation seemed believable, Chief Bryant said.

Police formed a plan for Mr. Fields to deliver a package with $10,000, a partial payment, that also included a concealed tracking device that police hoped would eventually lead them to where Dominic Fields was being held. Reluctant to use real money, police considered other options, including shredding newspaper to resemble cash, but feared the suspects would kill Dominic Fields if they realized they had been fooled.

"We didn't intend to pay anything out," Chief Bryant said. "Many of us felt something was wrong here, but when can you take a chance?"

Police hoped that when the men saw it was real money, they would make an arrangement to reunite Mr. Fields and his son without the entire ransom.

"It didn't occur that way," Chief Bryant said.

Mr. Fields delivered the package to the 7100 block of Frankstown Avenue and left.

Two men picked it up, Chief Bryant said, and ran to an apartment in the 7600 block of Kelly Street, still unaware of police involvement in the case. A state police helicopter soared overhead and SWAT officers surrounded the building, but the pair escaped before police were able to locate the suspects' apartment.

"The timing was off just a little bit and they managed to get away," she said.

Before the suspects realized SWAT was encroaching, they called Mr. Fields a final time and demanded the rest of the money, saying they would kill his son if they did not get it.

Police searched the apartment and found the package, but the cash and the tracking device were missing. Chief Bryant said she did not know if the device is still functioning. She called the missing city money "investigative funds" but declined to elaborate on where it came from.

"We are still hopeful to get some of the money back," she said.

Back at police headquarters Sunday night, David Fields got a call from his son, who admitted that he wasn't kidnapped. Mr. Fields urged his son to surrender to police.

"I don't know if [David Fields] was more hurt or if he was mad," Chief Bryant said.

Dominick Fields later called detectives and told them he "owed some people some money and was scared," Chief Bryant said.

Police have obtained arrest warrants for the younger Mr. Fields and Mr. Hines, who face charges of theft by extortion, theft by deception, receiving stolen property and conspiracy. Police did not explain what role they believe Mr. Hines played in the scheme.

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