Don’t lie to the cops, especially not in Ventura County.

A Simi Valley, California man was arrested when the police came to his home in response to his 911 call. The man told the 911 operator he had been shot and was locked in his bathroom. It turns out that Simi resident Herbert Alvaranga had simply gotten into an argument with his wife and wanted the cops to get there as soon as possible. Herbert must have recently moved to Simi from Los Angeles.

Alvaranga was taken into custody after police assessed the situation and determined that no shots had been fired and that the caller was simply exaggerating the situation to expedite police response. Alvaranga will likely be charged with giving false information to law enforcement under California Penal Code Section 148.9. The suspect is facing up to a year in jail and or a $1,000 fine, probation and the wrath of the Simi Valley Police department who will likely be paying his home multiple visits in the future to conduct “probation searches” to make sure the soon to be probationer minds his manners in the future.

Remember, it is ok to exercise your right to remain silent but it is never ok to lie to the police. Also, here in Ventura county, the police actually respond to 911 calls, unlike Los Angeles where if there is no blood, the police response could take hours.

If you or someone you know has been arrested for giving false information, resisting arrest or any other criminal offense, call me, Attorney Jeffrey S. Vallens (805) 379-2414 or (818) 783-5700 or Email me at: vallenslaw@yahoo.com or visit my sites: www.4criminaldefense.com or www.westlakecriminaldefense.com