Full response to reported Lake Tahoe emergency turns out to be "swatting" hoax

ZEPHYR COVE, Nev. - Authorities responded in full force Thursday morning to a home in the 500 block of US 50 in Zephyr Cove after a crisis call led them to believe a teenage girl was in labor and in danger.

At 6:43 a.m. on April 18, deputies from the Douglas County Sheriff's Office (DCSO) were dispatched to a residence in Zephyr Cove after the Live Violence Free crisis hotline center received a concerning call. The unidentified caller said they were a pregnant 13-year-old who believed she was in labor and had previously been raped by her father.

As personnel from the DCSO and the Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District began to arrive, the female said her father had a weapon, knew law enforcement was there and was refusing to open the door. The female then reported her father would shoot law enforcement personnel if they came into the residence, and was pointing the weapon at her.

Due to the circumstances, the DCSO Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team, the Crisis Negotiation Team (CNT), and Drone Unit responded. Subsequently, access into the residence was made and the interior of the residence was searched, finding no one in the residence.

Upon further investigation, this incident was determined to be a hoax, commonly known as “swatting”, which is the action or practice of making a prank call to emergency services in an attempt to bring about the dispatch of a large number of armed police officers to a particular address. This practice is unlawful and very dangerous to all persons involved, and ties up and/or delays emergency response personnel from responding to other calls for service and emergencies.

Several Lake Tahoe residents reported numerous marked and unmarked vehicles with emergency lights going traveling up to the lake on Kingsbury Grade Thursday morning.

The DCSO Investigations Division will be conducting a follow-up investigation and pursue criminal charges on the suspect in this case.