Montgomery County crime: Man accused of swatting 911 13 times last weekend
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas - One man is facing charges after being accused of making multiple swatting calls to 911 in Montgomery County last weekend.
Francisco Hernandez, 27, is charged with false report to induce emergency response.
Francisco Hernandez
According to authorities, Montgomery County dispatch received 13 911 emergency phone calls from the same phone number near the 100 block of Sawdust Road in Spring.
Officials said each time the caller, who was later identified as Hernandez, called, they hung up as soon as the call was answered. Then an emergency text message was also sent to 911 and said there was an active shooter at a nearby business.
Deputies quickly responded to the location and found no emergency, which indicated Hernandez falsely reported the active shooter to elicit an emergency response.
After identifying the caller as Hernandez, an investigation revealed that Hernandez made 44 emergency phone calls to Montgomery County Dispatch within the last two months.
Authorities later obtained a warrant for Hernandez and was arrested on Thursday. Hernandez was also arrested for an additional warrant out of Harris County for harassment and is currently being held at the Montgomery County Jail.
"The abuse of 911 services is not only illegal, but it also needlessly increases the danger to both law enforcement personnel and the public due to emergency driving and diverting resources from genuine emergencies. It is essential to use 911 services responsibly and only in cases of actual emergencies to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone involved," officials said in a release.