NORWOOD – A “prank” phone call triggered a high-priority police response at the Residence Inn by Marriott on Norwood Park South.
According to police logs, the incident began when a 911 caller from Boston contacted Norwood Dispatch to report juveniles were “playing with weapons and drinks” inside one of the hotel rooms.
The situation was initially clouded by uncertainty, as the caller could not identify a specific room number but the female attendee dialed 911 before fleeing the scene.
Norwood Police Officers arrived on the scene to find a conflicting narrative. Upon speaking further with the original 911 caller, police learned the “involved female party” had called back to confess the entire report was a prank.
Further complicating the investigation, officers discovered that the phone numbers provided by the caller were no longer in service, a common tactic in coordinated prank calls. Despite the report being deemed a hoax, officers conducted a full walkthrough of the property to ensure guest safety.
While the initial report of weapons was false, the group inside the hotel room didn’t stay out of trouble for long. Roughly an hour after the initial police sweep, the hotel supervisor contacted the dispatch again, reporting that the parties in the room were causing a significant disturbance and requesting their removal from the property.
Officers returned to the Marriott to escort the individuals out of their room. In a final act of professional courtesy, the front desk receptionist allowed the group to wait in the lobby for their rideshare to arrive. At the time of this article, it does not appear criminal charges have been filed. -RD
