Washoe County teen arrested for making numerous 911 calls

A 17-year-old boy was arrested by Washoe County Sheriff's deputies after the teen made over a dozen false reports to emergency dispatch.

Between November 12, 2016 and November 29, 2016, the Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center received calls from the Sun Valley area, including reports of mass murder, shoot-outs in the street, and a bomb threat to a local elementary school.

Sheriff’s Office patrol deputies and detectives worked together to locate the source of these calls. Their investigation led them to a juvenile resident of Sun Valley. After interviews with the suspect and witnesses, deputies arrested the juvenile who gave a full confession.

The juvenile was booked into the Jan Evans Juvenile Detention Facility on multiple charges including 15 gross misdemeanor charges of Unlawful Use of 911 and a felony charge of Communicating a Bomb Threat.

“The Sheriff’s Office is obligated to provide an appropriate response to all calls made to emergency dispatch, tying up units that might otherwise be out handling genuine public safety calls,” Washoe County Sheriff Chuck Allen said. “This type of flagrant misuse of the emergency response system demonstrates a reckless disregard for the safety of our first responders and the public.

“I appreciate the great work done by our staff to locate the individual responsible, take him into custody and put a stop to this thoughtless and dangerous behavior.”

This is an ongoing investigation and anyone who may have information related to this case is asked to contact the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office Detective Division at (775) 328-3320 or Secret Witness at (775) 322-4900.