Police responded Saturday to what sounded like an awful emergency call: an anonymous man on the phone who confessed to murdering his roommate, holding a hostage, and threatening officers. As it would turn out, the call was a hoax.
The call was received by Palm Springs police at 6:16 pm and officers immediatly responded to a home on South Camino Real. Via KESQ:
The caller reported he had just murdered a roommate and was holding another person hostage. Officers responded to the home and began investigating. The unknown man reported he could see officers in the area and would kill the hostage if officers did not leave the area.
Police would later determine there was no one in the home and the homeowner was not even in town. “It was determined that the homeowner was not home,” Lt. Gustavo Araiza said in a written statement. “Officers were able to check the interior of the residence and determine the call was a “swatting” hoax.”
California law requires pranksters convicted of “swatting” to reimburse the fees from agencies responding to their fake emergency. The practice is no longer reported by the LAPD so as not to draw attention to it.
Police are investing who was behind the prank call and ask anyone with info to call 760-323-8116.
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