WATERLOO - The reported death of a Waterloo teenager was greatly exaggerated, according to his mother and authorities.

The Courier ran an obituary for Daniel "D.J." Reddout Friday after a man who identified himself as his father dropped off information about the 17-year-old's alleged death at the newspaper Thursday.

The item said the West High student passed away at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., Dec. 24, because of complications from surgery.

But on Tuesday Waterloo police and The Courier received a report that people who know Reddout spotted him eating at the Happy Chef a full week after his alleged demise. Police continue investigating the matter.

"He was in the restaurant Saturday and had the obituary with him," said Jeannie Heines, who works at Happy Chef, which also employs one of Reddout's grandmothers.

Waterloo police learned Tuesday through the Olmsted County Medical Examiner's Office in Rochester that no one by the name of Reddout had died at the hospital, said Capt. Bruce Arends.

"We have confirmed he is not deceased," Arends said. "He is alive and well and breathing."

Osage Memorial Cemetery, where he was allegedly buried during graveside services Dec. 27, doesn't exist. The city runs Osage Cemetery - there's no "memorial" in the title - but city officials said there was no activity there that day.

A funeral home wasn't listed in the obituary, which directed that memorials be made to the family.

Reddout's mother, Mary Jo Jensen, said her boyfriend, James Snyder, submitted the obituary after she told him her son was ill.

She said it was a case of bad communication.

"I had let my boyfriend know he was doing very, very badly at the hospital, and jokingly I said that he had passed away, and he took upon himself to put the obituary in," Jensen said.

"It was a mistake, and I apologize for that," she said.

Jensen said her son was in a Waterloo hospital, not at the Mayo Clinic, for a few weeks up until the week of Christmas.

She said the boyfriend wasn't familiar with the situation because he was away for work.

Jensen said she didn't know about the obituary until after it ran and Reddout's grandparents in Iowa City called to tell her about it.

Jensen denied the obituary was placed to deceive anyone.

Heines said workers at Happy Chef read the obituary when The Courier's Friday edition arrived. They recognized the name because Reddout had once worked there.

The next day, Reddout was at the restaurant, she said.

Courier Editor Saul Shapiro said this is the first time in his 23 years that he knows of where the paper ran a false obituary. He said the newspaper is looking at ways to take additional steps to confirm obituaries brought in by family members.

Contact Jeff Reinitz at (319) 291-1578 or jeff.reinitz@wcfcourier.com.