Juvenile Arrested for False Emergency Reports
Helicopter Sent Out in One County
A Santa Barbara County teen has been accused of generating a series of false emergencies and threats in several counties over the past several weeks. He was arrested and booked into Juvenile Hall.
The threats – most of which were bomb threats reported to emergency dispatch centers – were computer generated, and went out to agencies in Santa Barbara, Ventura, San Luis Obispo, and Monterey counties. One led to a law enforcement helicopter being deployed. He is facing three primary charges of giving a bomb threat, a criminal or terrorist threat, and the false reporting of an emergency.
Detectives in the high-tech crimes unit identified the person they believed to be behind the threats, and after a one-week investigation, arrested the teenager on November 6. He is now facing several felony and misdemeanor charges, Sheriff’s Department spokesperson Drew Sugars said.
Because the suspect is a juvenile, no further information was available. Any criminal proceedings will take place in juvenile court, a process which is closed to the public.
