Crank caller plagues 911 with 2,000 calls

VALLEJO, Calif. (AP) — A serial crank caller using a donated cell phone has plagued 911 with nearly 2,000 fake emergency calls over the past six months, tying up dispatchers and sending police and firefighters on wild goose chases, authorities said.

A man identifying himself as Nomar has reported himself the victim of everything from a drug overdose and a possible heart attack to robbery and attempted suicide. Officials said they didn't know why nearly all the false emergencies he calls in purportedly take place in Vallejo, a city of about 100,000 along the waters north of San Francisco Bay.