Oakdale woman arrested after false report prompts SWAT, school lockdown
An Oakdale woman was arrested Tuesday after deputies say she made a false police report that led to a heavy law enforcement response, including SWAT activation and a school lockdown.
Shortly before 7:40 a.m., Cheyenne Spears, 33, called 911 from the 6800 block of River Road and told dispatchers she had been struck with a baseball bat, according to the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office. Spears also claimed the father of her 8-month-old child assaulted her and was threatening to harm the baby inside a home.
Deputies quickly responded, shutting down a stretch of River Road between Cleveland and Liberini avenues and requesting a nearby school be placed on lockdown “out of an abundance of caution,” officials said. The Sheriff’s Office also activated its Crisis Negotiation Team and SWAT.
The incident lasted about two and a half hours before deputies safely recovered the child, who was unharmed. The 37-year-old man was detained but later released after investigators determined Spears’ claims were false, authorities said.
Spears was booked into the Stanislaus County jail on suspicion of making a false report and criminal threats.
Sheriff’s officials warned that false reports not only divert crucial first-responder resources from true emergencies but can also harm those falsely accused.
