A social media streamer became the target of a dangerous “swatting” hoax that prompted a large police response at a shopping mall in Arcadia, California.
Authorities rushed to the mall in the San Gabriel Valley, California after receiving a false report about an armed person inside the building. The call turned out to be a prank aimed at online personality Diego Zavaleta Penaloza, who was broadcasting live during a shopping outing.
Penaloza, who has more than 181,000 followers on the streaming platform Kick, was filming content with a young fan when officers suddenly entered the store where they were located.
Police response and mall lockdown
According to Penaloza, several officers rushed inside and ordered everyone to lie on the ground while they investigated a report that a person with a rifle was in the mall and planning to harm people…