False Robbery Report in Fresno County Takes Bizarre Turn; Two Arrested
FOWLER, CA — Two Fresno County men are reportedly facing charges of firearm negligence after allegedly filing a false robbery report.
According to a press release by the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, sheriff’s deputies and officers from the Fowler Police Department responded to a report of a shooting victim late on the afternoon of Wednesday, July 16.
Officers arrived on scene, in the area of Temperance and Adams avenues, and made contact with a 19-year-old male who had sustained a non-life-threatening gunshot wound. This individual was taken to an area hospital for treatment, authorities said.
The individual reportedly told deputies that he’d been shot during a robbery attempt in the area of Highland and American avenues. Detectives responded to that area and spoke with another individual, also 19, who had been with the first individual when he was shot.
In comparing their stories, detectives reportedly became suspicious and later determined that the two had agreed on a plan for one to shoot the other. Why they would hatch such a plan is still unclear, according to authorities.
The case has since been forwarded to the District Attorney’s Office and both individuals face potential charges of filing a false report and negligently discharging a firearm, the Sheriff’s Office said.
