Police: 20 Fake Emergency Calls Made To South Bay Agencies Over 6 Months
GARDENA (CBSLA.com) — Two men face charges of making as many as 20 fake 911 calls to several South Bay-area law enforcement agencies, reporting crimes that drew SWAT responses.
Michael Sumolang, 27, of Torrance, and Corey Jackson, 28, of Gardena, were arrested last Thursday on suspicion of felony conspiracy and reporting a false emergency in connection with the 20 fictitious emergency 911 calls, Gardena police officials said.
One of the calls made was at 11:18 p.m. on Feb. 17, reporting a woman getting shot in the chest by her husband, possibly an off-duty LAPD officer, at a home in the 1900 block of 147th Street. The call drew a large police and fire department response to the home, where an unsuspecting family was inside sleeping.
The responding officers determined the call was unfounded, and a report of the incident was forwarded to detectives, who found that over six months, 20 such calls were made to police dispatch. Each call reported similar dangerous situations, to police agencies in Gardena, Torrance, Hawthorne, El Segundo, and Hermosa Beach. The California Highway Patrol also received a similar call, reporting a threat to a CHP officer.
The investigation identified Sumolang and Jackson as the "swatters," and found that the two were friends who enjoyed making the calls and watching from a distance as emergency personnel responded, Gardena police officials said.
Jackson is being held on $25,000 bail and is scheduled to make his first court appearance in the case on March 29. According to jail records, Sumolang is no longer in custody, and is scheduled to make his first appearance in court on April 4.