LOS ANGELES (AP) - Police have
arrested a juvenile they say is responsible for making prank calls that
reported violence at the homes of Justin Bieber and Ashton Kutcher and led officers to respond in force to
the stars' homes.
The Los Angeles Police Department on
Tuesday refused to provide any details about the suspect, who was arrested Dec.
10 and is no longer in custody. Prosecutors were reviewing a possible case
against the person, who police say may be responsible for multiple hoax calls
intended to provoke large police responses.
The practice has been dubbed
"swatting" because the calls are intended to get multiple officers,
including specialized SWAT teams, sent to a home.
"The swatting practice is
extremely dangerous and places first responders and citizens in harm's
way," police said in a news release.
Police said the person reported
multiple people had been shot at Kutcher's home on Oct.3 and reported shots
fired at Bieber's home a week
later. The celebrities were not home at the time, and officers determined that
no one was injured.
The fake distress calls were made
through an electronic system.
In a news release, police said
multiple agencies including the FBI and Long Beach Police Department were
involved in the investigation. Long
Beach detectives who investigate cybercrimes were
consulted and the agency was not involved in the arrest. Police would only say
the juvenile lives in the Southern California
area.
The person is suspected of being
involved in other "swatting" incidents, but police did not say
whether they involved celebrities. Similar hoax calls have been made involving
the homes of Miley Cyrus and Simon Cowell.
(Copyright 2012 The Associated
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