Tom Cruise may be the latest so-called “swatting” victim after police responded to a 911 call of an armed robbery at the actor’s Beverly Hills house on Thursday and found no crime had been committed, authorities said.
Shortly after noon, police received a call reporting a robbery in progress, Sgt. Renato Moreno said. Officers responded to the house, spoke with private security and then conducted a search. Nothing wasfound.
Cruise and his family weren’t home when the call was made. There were no arrests.
Police are investigating the incident as a false report of an emergency, a practice that has been dubbed “swatting” because it is intended to get multiple officers, including specialized SWAT teams sent to a home.
In December, a juvenile was arrested after allegedly making calls that reported violence at the homes of Justin Bieber and Ashton Kutcher. Prosecutors are reviewing the case and haven’t yet made a decision on whether to file charges.
Similar hoax calls have been made involving the homes of Miley Cyrus and Simon Cowell.
Responding to such calls usually means more than half of the emergency resources in Beverly Hills are being used, Moreno said.
“It certainly is something that ties us up,” Moreno said.
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