Police: San Jacinto woman arrested after making threats on police radio
Irene Marie Levy was taken into custody early Monday at her mobile home in the 900 block of South Grand Avenue, Lt. Mark Richards said.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Irene Marie Levy
Authorities arrested a 29-year-old San Jacinto woman who investigators said interrupted police and fire radio communications and made threats over the air during a two-day period, said Hemet police Lt. Mark Richards in a news release.
Irene Marie Levy was taken into custody early Monday at her mobile home in the 900 block of South Grand Avenue, Richards said. Levy was booked at the Hemet Police Department Jail on suspicion of making terrorist threats; false report of a bomb threat; and maliciously interrupting, disrupting, impeding, or interfering with the transmission of a public safety radio frequency.
Levy’s bail is set at $50,000, Richards said.
The incident is not related to the recent attacks on Gang Task Force officers or other recent attacks on law enforcement officers in Hemet, Richards said.
According to Richards, Levy, who is an Amateur Radio technician, was randomly broadcasting on CalFire and Hemet Police radio frequencies from Saturday evening until moments before she was arrested at her residence.
In the 30 hours of radio frequency interruptions by Levy, she made at least one bomb threat and many references to the death of police officers and fire personnel, Richards said. Levy’s threats and antics interrupted radio communications during a CalFire search and rescue call, a vegetation fire, and a major traffic accident mutual aid scene in Hemet on Saturday evening, Richards said. The interruptions continued into the early morning hours of Sunday when Levy made the bomb threat. Levy continued making threats on Hemet Police and CalFire radio frequencies all of Sunday afternoon and evening.
CalFire and Riverside County Fire communications technicians started the task of trying to locate the source of the frequency interruptions on CalFire frequencies late Saturday evening. The communications technicians deployed Direction Finding equipment to triangulate Levy’s transmissions.
Levy expanded her threatening transmissions to the Hemet Police radio frequency on Sunday morning, Richards said, and later that evening Riverside police investigators were requested to assist because their investigators have had some experience in these types of investigations. Richards said Riverside has similar radio frequency direction finding equipment as the CalFire communications technicians.
On Sunday evening, Richards said, Levy boasted that the police would never find her and she disguised her voice as a male adult during all of her transmissions.
Late Sunday evening, Levy’s location was pinpointed to her mobile home. Just after midnight, law enforcement officers from Hemet Police, CalFire, and Riverside Police approached Levy’s mobile home just as she made one final transmission on the Hemet Police frequency, Richards said.
Investigators arrived at her front door just as she finished her last transmission. Hemet Police investigators seized 11 radios, seven radio frequency scanners, radio frequency lists, computer equipment, and other miscellaneous radio equipment from Levy’s home. Police also seized Levy’s Ham radio technician’s license issued to her by the FCC in September of 2009, Richards said.
Tags: Cal Fire, hemet, Irene Marie Levy, Lt. Mark Richards, San Jacinto, SWRNN
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Comment by: Andy Posted: May 3, 2010, 7:55 am
Well done Police. It is not OK to pretend police matters are a game for personal and malicious enjoyment.
Comment by: Dean Posted: May 3, 2010, 10:49 am
As an Amateur Radio Operator I am fully disgusted with Ms. Levy’s actions. The majority (99.9%) of my fellow amateurs will condem this persons actions and willful interference on the public safety frequencies. I hope she is prosecuted and her FCC license is revoked.
Comment by: Andy Posted: May 3, 2010, 11:21 am
Nobody thinks this is a common Ham Radio behavior. This is a bad person who got a hold of some powerful equipment and most likely was steered into doing this act. This was just another area criminal who is finding out the hard way that the law is coming for them. The time to be a criminal is over.
Comment by: Jennifer J. Posted: May 3, 2010, 11:41 am
What was her motive? Just to mess with police and make their job harder? Or totally wacko? both?
Comment by: Mark A. Posted: May 3, 2010, 12:10 pm
I find this act very ruthless act against the very agencies that are out there risking their lives to help others. I’m a active Amateur Radio Operator, law enforcement officer and a volunteer firefighter and I hope that she is not only tried on a local and state level but also Federal level. FCC should revoke her license and ban her from ever holding any type of license in the future as well as be court ordered to never possess or own any type of radio transmitter or receiver. I hope that the public would not take this act by this individual against other amateur radio operators. Most Ham radio operators would have gladly aided these agencies in locating her. We are out here to help, not to cause disruption.
Comment by: Allen Posted: May 3, 2010, 12:12 pm
There are over 680,000 Amateur Radio operators in the USA. In that large a population there are bound to be some people with emotional and mental problems. Actually, when you think of it, with 680,000+ people it is surprising that there are so FEW stories about hams behaving badly.
Comment by: Roberto Barnard Posted: May 3, 2010, 3:03 pm
As a radio amateur, I can assure readers that most of us are fairly benign. There ARE, however, quite a few nutcases out there. I shudder to think what will happen if the Minutemen or other racists take up ham radio. From Mexico, 73…
Comment by: mikey Posted: May 3, 2010, 5:28 pm
this lady was just a plain psycho with cb radios.
Comment by: Ann Fuller Posted: May 3, 2010, 6:15 pm
It doesn’t take a ham radio licensee to commit acts such as this.
She just happened to have the license.
Comment by: moe Posted: May 3, 2010, 7:04 pm
Wackers gone wild!
Comment by: Rick KA6JMM Posted: May 3, 2010, 7:55 pm
I think there is another problem behind it like she might have been under a tremendous amount of stress due to something new in her current circumstances. We need to know the whole story, but it does not excuse her actions. She has a hard working husband and a small child at home that needs our help and prayers.
Comment by: Dennis Posted: May 3, 2010, 10:14 pm
Maybe when she gets out of prison she could apply for a dispatcher position with the Hemet Police or Fire Dept.She could cite this experience in her resume.
Comment by: Richard Lyon KG6FTB Posted: May 4, 2010, 1:57 am
I’ve held an FCC amateur radio license for 9 years. In that length of time, not once have I ever felt the need to deliberately harm anyone dedicated to Public Service. Nor have I ever abused my privileges afforded me by the FCC. Even though a newly licensed ham technician, I’m totally embarrassed by this person’s flagrant disregard to public safety and the amateur radio operators’ creed to public service. 30 hours maliciously disrupting police and fire radio communications alone could have cost someone their life. Thank God this ended without mayhem, gunfire or bloodshed.
I think she should be banned from owning or operating any type of transmitting devices. She not only maliciously disrupted public safety communications; she threatened the lives of police officers, fire officials and endangered the public.
I believe the FCC should auction off any and all radio equipment seized from those who intentionally harm public safety, thus help to build a national fund to help law enforcement become more technically advanced against terrorism. The FCC should permanently revoke her amateur radio license.
However, rather than American tax payers footing the bill for her incarceration, she should be given a lengthy senescence of Community Service to repay each and every agency that suffered from her tirade.
As Amateur Radio Operators, we are All held in the public’s trust to provide a greatly needed volunteer service to serve the public worldwide.
Comment by: mike goins Posted: May 4, 2010, 7:51 am
Amazing. She has 11 radios, seven radio frequency scanners and choses to live in a mobile home. Trailer trash apparently have priority issues. I’ve been a ham for 35 years and occasionally someone will do something incredibly stupid like this, though it has most often been from the CB community. Even though this is one occasion and there are literally thousands of hams, I would totally support a permanent removal of her license and stricter requirements for amateur radio licenses.
Comment by: WR Anderson Posted: May 4, 2010, 9:41 am
I hope this does not reflect on the thousands of licensed amateur radio operators, or hams as we are called, who unselfishly have given their time freely for the last century in times of disaster. ANY group, be it amateur radio, the Army, Girl Scouts, the Clergy, or any other you care to name, can have a deranged individual who can do dispicable acts like this, in clear vioation of the rules and accepted morality. This individual needs to be treated in a mental facility or if judged mentally competant, should face very heavy fines, and long prison time for endangering the public safety. I know at the very least, she will lose her federally granted amateur radio license, face heavy fines from the FCC, and then whatever else the law deems necessary. But please, don’t pass judgement on the amateur radio community in general for the actions of one possibly mentally ill or criminal individual.The law will deal with this one. We try hard to maintain high ethical and moral standards in our group, but where hundreds of thousands of people are concerned, this is bound to happen from time to time.
we
Comment by: Stu Cozza Posted: May 4, 2010, 9:55 am
Looks like the media could use a bit more schooling on Amateur Radio.
Comment by: Jack Posted: May 4, 2010, 11:03 am
The media could use a lot more schooling on just about everything. Especially journalism.
Comment by: Alice M. Posted: May 4, 2010, 1:20 pm
Have been a ham for 49 years, never heard of this before by anyone on any radio freq. When I think of the hours I and others have spent helping fire, police, forestry, military in many ways, it is most unfortunate this person had a ham license, as it is totally irrelevant to her misbehavior.
Comment by: South Yorkshire Repeater Group » Radio Ham Arrested Posted: May 4, 2010, 2:44 pm
[...] the full Southwest Riverside News Network report here>> Bookmark This Post Hide Sites No Comments » Leave a Reply Click here to [...]
Comment by: william dunn Posted: May 4, 2010, 3:03 pm
her ticket should be pulled for ever she dont derseve a ham ticket
Comment by: Warren Rowe / WR1TX Posted: May 4, 2010, 3:54 pm
I can guarantee that just about ALL Amateur Radio operators will condemn these acts, as I certainly do. It doesn’t put us in a good light, but it does provide an opportunity to publicly denounce this, and also provide some education for those who really need it to understand what hams are all about.
It’s a real shame that this had to happen. I wonder who did the triangulation that ultimately pinpointed her location?
Comment by: mriggio Posted: May 5, 2010, 6:31 am
Since her Amateur license status had absolutely nothing to do with her illegal activities, I guess the members of the Hairdressers society and Plumber’s union are all grateful she didn’t possess those licenses as well. Too bad they didn’t mention whether or not she has a driver’s license; that way all motorists could be tarred by her crimes too.
Comment by: GT911 Posted: May 5, 2010, 10:21 am
I work for a public service agency. I also have been a licenses amateur for 20 years. The vast majority of amateur radio operators are not a problem. However, like any profession or hobby, less than desirable people can and do exist inside the ranks. In my 16 years in the public safety profession most of these types of incidents have been the caused by people whom possess an amateur radio license. That does not mean ALL amateurs are like this any more than a few drunk drivers makes all drivers evil. Amateur radio operators simply have a greater interest in all forms of radio communications and access to radio equipment that sometimes can be illegally modified to operate on public safety frequencies. The only non-amateur citizen problems I’ve had to deal with were commmitted by people (mostly children) whom found a lost radio and didn’t turn it in. Once the battery went dead the problem went away – at the cost of loosing a radio. This stuff happens…
Comment by: Bill H Posted: May 5, 2010, 4:58 pm
Sounds like she may have a drug or alcohol problem and could certainly use some help.
Too bad the media twisted it around with her association with amateur radio. Makes all look suspect. For all the public service work we do and get little or no media coverage and one bad apple gets all the media. hi.. Oh Well.. “Keep on Truckin’”
Comment by: San Jacinto woman behind police radio threats due in court Thursday Posted: May 5, 2010, 6:58 pm
[...] ham radio operator who allegedly transmitted bomb threats, jammed police and fire channels and interrupted Inland [...]
Comment by: Gary Posted: May 5, 2010, 9:42 pm
Major bummer, and yes I would agree she definitely needs help. I don’t see how the media did anything other than report the facts, however. It’s hard to believe a ham would not know that they would be found eventually – lots of legal hams would help in the process if asked. But, like the previous comment, one bad apple in thousands doesn’t really matter.
Comment by: lee Posted: May 6, 2010, 7:43 am
There is always a bad apple in any group including cops , reporters and politicians etc.
Good job on the cops for catching her .
Comment by: Karla Faye Trucker Posted: May 6, 2010, 9:03 am
Why all the excuses and sympathy simply because she is a woman?
A presumed drug and alcohol problem is no justification.
Most people could do 400 micrograms of LSD-25, an 8-ball, ketamine, and 3 crates of amyl nitrate and not pull a stupid stunt like this; nor, even conceive of such a deed, yet this skag chose to … repeatedly.
Irene will playing “hard-to-get” at the prison dance for a spell.
Comment by: Amateur licenses increasing in numbers? - The RadioReference.com Forums Posted: May 6, 2010, 3:00 pm
[...] an amateur license and does it ever show. Just look at this ….. amateur radio at its finest. Police: San Jacinto woman arrested after making threats on police radio Most hams are reasonable and descent people but it is becoming more and more like CB. Who cannot [...]
Comment by: Bruce Meyer Posted: May 7, 2010, 7:10 am
Many police departments have amateur radio
emergency service groups attached as volunteers.
These people are very good at policing the
amateur radio community and should be used
whenever possible to locate interlopers. A
technician class amateur licensee is usually
a beginner who is fascinated by the bells and
whistles but knows little about proper radio
procedures and regulations.
Comment by: Anonymous Coward Posted: May 7, 2010, 6:44 pm
I guess nobody bothers to read the article because it only mentions amateur radio in one spot, and then tells you that her license was revoked. This is like saying a guy that crashed while driving drunk was also a bartender, and that he got fired. It isn’t meant to point blame towards one group or another, but it is relevant as to how they went about breaking the law and how some of it was resolved.
It’s quite simple, read the article, THEN comment. You can do it!
Comment by: Some Ham Posted: May 8, 2010, 9:32 am
Her license wasn’t revoked. Yet. The police took her paper copy of her license. Only the FCC can revoke radio licenses.
http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/license.jsp?licKey=3133865
http://www.qrz.com/db/KJ6CEY
Comment by: Hmmmmmm Posted: May 11, 2010, 4:32 am
She must of stepped up from a reacter
Comment by: BoxcarRich Posted: May 14, 2010, 7:14 am
As a ham and scanner listener since 1977 I never considered using my equipment to subvert or interfere w/ our Public Servants although I’ve often been accused of being some kind of criminal for having the equipment! On the contrary,my radios have saved my life and allowed me to assist Law enforcement at times. Even when I had legitimate urgent need (like following suspected DUIs), I’ve chosen not transmit on an official channel but rather had my message relayed via phone by another ham or used a cellphone. But when employed as a Security Officer, I had AUTHORIZED use of the Police radio in 2 juristictions.I bought my own PD radio for the job, but I was therefore later wrongly accused by FELLOW HAMS of interfering w/ our Sherrif’s comms! And they didn’t apologize when it’s real source was learned. Many VHF/UHF ham tranceivers are easily mod’ed to illegally talk on some PS freqs. The frequencies etc are Public Information available from the FCC, and other perfectly legal sources. “Real” PD/FD radios are even sold on eBay by sellers who don’t ask any questions! At a Police auction I once bought an obsolete but functional PD radio still capable of talking on their system! Like firearms and knives, ham radio and scanners have legitmate and illegitimate uses so it’s upsetting that people like this woman become “poster child” to broad-brush the rest of us as wierdos.
Comment by: Done Posted: May 21, 2010, 9:34 am
Bottom line this lady is troubled an also it goes to show even ham operators go bad.
Comment by: Frank Posted: May 29, 2010, 4:25 pm
Living in a mobile home does not make you trailer trash but this person is,,,,,