Authorities Say Guard Made Up ‘Assault’ by Vandals

A security guard’s claim that he had been attacked by armed vandals in Moorpark prompted a full-scale police response Thursday, but a helicopter crew, 14 sheriff’s deputies and two police dogs found only that the guard made the whole story up.

Jonathon David Smith, 21, of Oxnard was arrested on suspicion of falsely reporting an assault about 11 p.m. Thursday, authorities said, three hours after launching the $4,000 wild-goose chase.

Smith was held briefly in the east county jail before being released Friday morning, officials said.

Sheriff’s Lt. Steve Bourke said he had no idea why Smith cooked up the story.

He said the man may have wanted to see all the emergency equipment in action. Or he may have watched too many cop shows, Bourke said.

“I’m sure he had his own reasons,” he said. “I stopped asking those questions a long time ago to save my sanity.”

Smith dialed 911 about 8 p.m. Thursday and said that he had been shot at by three suspects while guarding a construction site at 700 Science Drive in Moorpark.

Smith told deputies he confronted the suspects as they painted graffiti at the site. They shot at him with a revolver and a shotgun before running away, Smith told police.

The guard also said he hurt his leg, prompting a medical response from Pruner Ambulance, officials said.

An extensive search of the area ensued because of the serious nature of the call, Bourke said.

“When somebody says they’ve been shot at and there are multiple suspects with multiple weapons, we’re going to respond with whatever we’ve got,” he said.

When the search turned up no suspects, physical evidence or other clues to support Smith’s report, deputies questioned him and he admitted lying, Bourke said. There was no attack and no taggers, Bourke said.

Sheriff’s officials estimate that Smith’s tall tale cost taxpayers at least $4,000. The helicopter costs about $700 an hour to fly and each deputy costs about 75 cents a minute, officials said.

Officials said they were unsure whether they would try to recover the costs from Smith or his employer.

A security guard for Mail Marketing, the San Fernando Valley company that is building large offices at the Moorpark site, said Thursday was Smith’s first night working the night shift.

Smith was employed by Burns International Security Services in Ventura. Joe Allen, a spokesman for Burns’ parent company, Chicago-based Borg-Warner Security Corp., said Smith had passed a pre-employment screening.

But a psychological test given to all employees “indicated he had some emotional instability,” Allen said.

Smith has been suspended without pay while the incident is investigated, Allen said. Smith could not be reached for comment Friday.