Apple Valley Man Charged With Reporting Imaginary Gunman to 911

An Apple Valley man faces a felony criminal charge after police say he crank called 911 with a story about a non-existent gunman. 

Patrick Arturego Isiakpere, 20, is charged with aggravated stalking, a felony offense punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. He purportedly made the bogus 911 call in retaliation for a shoplifting and tresspassing citation issued to him earlier that day.

Police say Isiakpere is responsible for an incident on the afternoon of Jan. 11, when nine officers of the Burnsville Police Department were dispatched to a motel on West Burnsville Parkway after receiving a report of a tall, white man holding a gun at the front entrance.

Officers arrived and immediately set up a perimeter, while a cadre approached the front door in a tactical shield formation, according to the criminal complaint. As they edged towards the entrance, two people came out. The unwitting men were held at gunpoint by police until it was determined that they were motel employees.

The motel lobby was empty and a search of 15 rooms yielded nothing, the complaint says. None of the guests had any knowledge of a gunman at the scene.

Upon further investigation, officers learned that the initial 911 call originated from a cell phone allegedly owned by Isiakpere. Just minutes before the call came in, Isiakpere had been cited by police for shoplifting and trespassing at the Burnsville Center. Isiakpere allegedly reacted angrily, tearing up the citation in front of police.

After reviewing video footage of the mall incident and the audio recording from the call, officers concluded that the voice belonged to the same person.

Police say that when questioned, Isiakpere said he had indeed been arrested for shoplifting, but was high on marijuana and could not recall what else had happened that day. According to the criminal complaint, he initially denied making the call, then later stated he didn't remember making it. He said the cell phone number was connected to an old phone of his that had been lost or stolen. 

Isiakpere has faced similar charges in the recent past. In September of last year, the investigated an incident in which a 911 caller made a false report of a man with a gun at a particular address.

Isiakpere was convicted of one count of aggravated stalking in relation to that case in December 2011. 

Burnsville police apprehended Isiakpere on March 14. Isiakpere racked up another criminal charge after he allegedly gave arresting officers a false name. 

Isiakpere is currently in the Dakota County Jail on a $100,000 bond, $50,000 with conditions. His next hearing is scheduled for April 10.