Police in Fullerton were pleasantly surprised when multiple calls about a home invasion robbery in progress involving men with guns and ski masks turned out to be nothing more than a film shoot.
Fullerton Police Department Cpl. Billy Phu told The Epoch Times that the department received multiple calls “where people saw subjects with masks, and what they believed to be guns“ and ”believed that someone was being robbed.”
The armed men in ski masks were caught appearing to break into an apartment complex in the 200 block of East Orangefair Mall at about 9:30 p.m. on Sept. 27.
Phu said when officers arrived on the scene, a passerby informed them that they might just be filming at the apartment. A few people from the film crew then came down to meet the officers and explained the situation.
“We officers still did our due diligence and went up to contact the owner of the apartment, and he gave the same information,” Phu said.
“We checked the apartment, saw the camera equipment, and then basically rendered the opinion that it was ultimately not a crime.”
The weapons were prop replicas. Because the film shoot involved a private home, police were not notified of the production.
“If there’s going to be commercial filming within a city, I highly recommend that they contact the city and acquire the proper permits, so that we can avoid circumstances like this,” Phu said.
