BEND, OR -- A Pennsylvania teen was arrested at his home earlier this month, accused of at least nine “Swatting” incidents, including one in Bend. Investigators believe the 17-year-old is responsible for the false report of a shooting at a home on SW Taft Avenue on April 11th.
Beginning in April, investigators from Pennsylvania State Police and the Collin County Sheriff’s Office in Texas worked together on a swatting call. That investigation determined calls were coming from a home in Jackson Township, in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. Bend Police detectives worked with the FBI and authorities in Texas to determine the caller was also connected to the April 11 swatting incident in Bend.
On Tuesday, May 2, authorities served a search warrant at his home. Officers say they found child pornography on the teen's computer, as well as evidence that he had made at least nine swatting calls throughout the country, including in Bend.
In that incident, dispatch received a call to the nonemergency line at approximately 12:17 p.m. The caller reported he had shot someone at a home in the 100 block of SW Taft Avenue and was still in the residence. Bend Police responded with numerous resources, including armored vehicles. Several area roads were closed during officers’ response. Negotiators spoke on the line with the caller for several minutes, and officers evacuated homes in the immediate area of the reported incident. Personnel from both the Central Oregon Emergency Response Team and the Sheriff’s Office’s Special Operations Team responded to the scene. Bend Police cleared the home where the alleged shooting had occurred, found no evidence of a crime and determined there was no threat to the public. Bend Police and assisting law enforcement left the scene around 1:30 p.m.
According to the Pennsylvania State Police, a juvenile petition has been filed against the teen for charges of possession of child pornography, false alarms, false reports, and possession of instruments of a crime. The 17-year-old is lodged at the Bucks County Juvenile Detention Center in Pennsylvania. The investigation is ongoing.
The FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office are expected to handle the cases going forward.
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