'Swatting' prank call leads to police response, arrest in Fond du Lac

FOND DU LAC -- A man is in custody after making a fake 911 call and orchestrating a "swatting" prank in Fond du Lac late night Friday, Jan. 18.

According to officials, Fond du Lac police were called to a home near 3rd and Marr around 10 p.m. The caller told 911 dispatchers a man was inside the basement of the residence, holding a female hostage with a gun. The phone line then disconnected. Upon the 911 center calling the number back, the line went directly to voicemail.

Officers arrived at the home and set up a perimeter around the residence. The Fond du Lac Police Department SWAT team also responded to the scene. Contact was made with four occupants inside the home, who were all taken into custody for questioning.

The residence was searched by the SWAT team, and no victims were located inside the residence. The call appeared to be a false report of a hostage situation to trigger a large police presence and SWAT response in what is commonly referred to as "swatting."

Officers were able to track down the source of the fake 911 call and arrested a 27-year-old Fond du Lac man at a residence near 1st and Adams. The suspect is currently being held in the Fond du Lac County Jail on numerous charges.