Grady Judd: 2 teens accused of ‘swatting’ boy in Polk County arrested in the Northeast

POINCIANA, Fla. - Two teenagers from the Northeast who are accused of ‘swatting’ a 12-year-old and his family in Poinciana have been brought to Polk County to face charges.

What we know:

At a news conference Thursday, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said a 15-year-old suspect from East Hartford, Connecticut, and a 14-year-old suspect from Syracuse, New York, have been arrested for the swatting incidents that occurred on June 4 and 5.

According to Judd, the teen suspects knew the 12-year-old victim through online gaming and got into some sort of argument before the swatting calls.

READ: DeSantis signs new bills directed at school safety, mental health and anti-swatting

Timeline:

Judd said the investigation started shortly before 8 p.m. on June 4 when the 15-year-old suspect called Haines City police claiming there was a "really bad" shooting.

Polk County deputies responded to the home, learned there was no shooting, and told the victim's parents that night to stop letting the boy play games online, according to Judd.

The next day, on June 5, the 14-year-old suspect allegedly called Kissimmee police and told dispatchers he had killed his wife and children with a shotgun because his wife had refused to cook dinner for him and set his clothes on fire.

Investigators were able to trace the calls to the two teens and arrest them, according to Judd. They have since been extradited to Polk County, where they're currently in custody on felony charges and awaiting their next court date.

READ: Florida getting tougher on people who make bogus 911 calls

What is swatting?

Dig deeper:

Swatting is the intentional false reporting of a violent incident intended to elicit an emergency response from a law enforcement agency.

What they're saying:

During Thursday's news conference, Judd said the sheriff's office gets a swatting call "almost every week," adding that such calls tie up critical resources and can delay responses to real emergencies.

"You risk law enforcement officers' lives, the paramedics, the firefighters' lives, and the victims in the house who, more times than not, are in bed asleep when this thing occurs," Judd said.

Judd also called on parents to help prevent such incidents among kids and teens by restricting their access to online gaming.

"Lock down the machines. Don’t allow them to play games with people across the United States. If they want to play a game, let them play with their friend little Johnny next door," Judd said.

The sheriff shared a message for anyone who makes fake emergency calls, as well.

"We'll come get your butt and we don't care where you are," Judd said. "You'll visit detention and lockup in Polk County, Florida, when we catch you doing this."

Florida's anti-swatting law

The arrests in this case came after an anti-swatting law went into effect in Florida earlier this month. 

Under the new law, it is a felony for anyone who makes a false report to 911 that results in someone getting hurt as part of the law enforcement response.

The anti-swatting bill requires repeat offenders to face even bigger charges, and it also requires payment of restitution to law enforcement agencies and to victims.

Law enforcement sometimes says suspects are hard to catch, either because they're overseas, or because they disguise where they're calling from.

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