Rihanna is the latest celebrity to fall victim to a pernicious prank that wastes police resources and could put others in danger.
A prankster called 911 to report that two armed men had shot someone inside the singer's Pacific Palisades, Calif. home, police confirmed to The Huffington Post. Upon reaching her mansion, Los Angeles police quickly determined that the call was a hoax, but continued to do a search of the property's perimeter to make sure there were no suspects.
TMZ first reported the prank.
"We take all these calls seriously, said LAPD spokesman Bruce Borihanh to HuffPost. "When we catch this person we will prosecute them." Rihanna was not home at the time, he confirmed.
LAPD officers have been very busy responding to multiple swatting pranks. P. Diddy's LA home was targeted Wednesday, and Rihanna's beau Chris Brown has also fallen prey to the prank. Last January, police responded to his Hollywood Hills home after someone reported a domestic violence incident. Brown was not home at the time.
Last February, a 12-year-old Southern California boy was charged for swatting Ashton Kutcher and Justin Bieber's home. Police are continuing to investigate other pranks that targeted the Kardashians and Tom Cruise.