DATE/TIME: October 24, 2023 / 4:58 PM
INCIDENT: PC 422 – Criminal Threats
LOCATION: Wal-Mart, 20251 State Highway 18, Apple Valley, CA
SUSPECT(S): Unknown
SUMMARY:
On Tuesday, October 24, 2023, employees at Wal-Mart received a telephone call from an unknown subject who threatened to shoot at the store.
Employees evacuated the store and asked patrons to walk away from the store to a safe location. Deputies from the Apple Valley Police Department responded to the location and checked the store to ensure no one was in or around the location. Deputies found nothing to indicate anyone was at or around the store to cause harm or shoot at the store. A trace of the number revealed it belonged to subjects in another state and this call was determined to be a “swatting”.
“Swatting” happens when subjects make a prank call to emergency services or a specified location with the intent to deceive emergency services into sending a large number of law enforcement officers to a location when no crime has been committed.
Anyone with any information about this investigation is asked to contact Deputy Delgado with the Apple Valley Police Department at (760) 240-7400 or Sheriff’s Dispatch at (760) 956-5001. Callers wishing to remain anonymous are urged to call the We-Tip Hotline at 1-800-78CRIME (27463) or leave information on the We-Tip website at www.wetip.com.
Refer: Pamela Hoffman
Station: Apple Valley
Phone No: (760) 240-7428
Case No. 182305353
SHANNON D. DICUS, Sheriff-Coroner
San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department
