A 36-year-old man was arrested after police and SWAT officers were called to the Peninsula Beverly Hills Hotel Thursday morning to investigate a report of a man being held hostage — a claim that investigators later determined to be bogus.
David Pearce, a resident of Beverly Hills, was arrested on suspicion of making a false report of an emergency, the Beverly Hills Police Department said in a news release. Inmate records show he was taken into custody around 2:25 p.m. in Beverly Hills.
The call came in just after 6 a.m. from a man who said he was being kept in a room by several armed men, Beverly Hills Police Department Sgt. T. Adams said.
Aerial video from Sky5 showed a large response from authorities, including SWAT officers, outside the hotel in the 9800 block of South Santa Monica Boulevard at about 6:45 a.m.
One officer could be seen standing in the doorway leading to a hotel courtyard with a rifle in hand.
Commuters and pedestrians were asked to avoid the area due to police activity, the Police Department stated in a news alert.
Authorities were not able to confirm any of the details given by the caller and were unable to make contact with any victim, Adams said, adding that no armed men were found inside the hotel.
Police later determined the incident was the result of a dispute and whoever made the call was likely “swatting,” Lt. Moreno said, a term for hoax 911 calls popularized in the video gaming community.
It was unclear how investigators were able to connect the call with Pearce.
While police said the 36-year-old is scheduled to appear in court on April 20, inmate records show his next court date is set for April 26.
KTLA’s Alberto Mendez, Jennifer Thang and Erika Martin contributed to this report.
