Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images, Tony DiMaio/StarTraks
Justin Bieber, Ashton Kutcher Swatting Case Cracked? Alleged Prankster Arrested for Calling Cops to Fake Emergencies
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Police may have found the kid who punk'd police into thinking there were emergencies at the homes of Ashton Kutcher and Justin Bieber.
The LAPD's Hollywood Division has confirmed the arrest of an unidentified juvenile they believe to be responsible for "swatting" the two celebs, that term coined to describe hackers making calls via TTY machines to report serious crimes that would merit a large response from law-enforcement and other emergency personnel.
"The swatting practice is extremely dangerous and places first responders and citizens in harm's way," the LAPD said in a statement announcing the bust, which went down on Dec. 10 following an investigation also involving the FBI and Long Beach Police Department.
Cops were dispatched to Kutcher's Hollywood Hills home on the morning of Oct. 3 after a call came in via TTY that there had been a shooting at the house. Only after sending out a helicopter and other hostage-rescue resources to the address did officers learn that the call had been a hoax.
A week later, a TTY report came in that an emergency was in progress at Bieber's residence and L.A. County Sheriff's deputies quickly learned upon arrival that there was no situation at the house.
Police said that they have connected the suspect to other swatting incidents, as well, but they didn't name names. Similar incidents occurred at the homes of Miley Cyrus in August and Simon Cowell last month.