PEORIA, Ariz. — Peoria police arrested a 30-year-old woman this month, charging her in connection with an alleged, years-long harassment and swatting campaign that targeted relatives, neighbors, members of a local congregation and others across Arizona and into Florida.
Charges span threats, false reports and alleged identity misuse
Authorities took Shelbey Fernandez into custody Aug. 9 at the Peoria home she shared with her parents and booked her on multiple counts stemming from allegations that investigators say stretched from 2019 into 2026. Court filings and the Peoria Police Department say the criminal case includes allegations of threats of sexual and lethal violence, repeated false emergency calls and financial misuse of a family member's account.
Authorities say Fernandez was arrested on 31 counts, including stalking, use of an electronic device to threaten or harass, harassment by false report and making terroristic threats.
According to charging documents, the counts also include fraudulent use of a credit card, taking the identity of another and sexual exploitation of a minor. Investigators began focusing on the residence after repeated swatting calls prompted emergency responses in Peoria within the past year.
How investigators say the harassment unfolded
Prosecutors describe a pattern of contact and false reports delivered through Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone numbers and text messages. Between February and early August of this year, messages allegedly referenced rape, shootings and other violence directed at Fernandez's parents and other members of their community.
- Messages claimed the family was being watched through home security cameras or that their phone calls were being monitored.
- One false report prompted officers to respond after a caller claimed the father had shot the mother at the Peoria home.
- Other false calls and messages reportedly triggered law enforcement responses in New River, Chino Valley and in Florida.
Detectives also allege Fernandez used her father's debit card without permission to place orders at a local retail store. In several instances, callers reported fictitious hostage situations, overdoses or active shootings. In one notable sequence, threats of a mass shooting at the Peoria Kingdom Hall where some of the family and other victims worshiped prompted the congregation to halt in-person services and move to alternate arrangements.
Local impact and law enforcement response
The alleged incidents have had tangible consequences for Peoria residents: emergency resources were deployed to homes on the basis of false reports, at least one household experienced a direct on-scene police response, and a local congregation curtailed in-person worship amid safety concerns. Swatting — the act of making false reports to prompt armed law enforcement responses — can endanger both targeted households and responding officers and has been a growing concern nationally.
| Alleged counts | Examples cited in court documents |
|---|---|
| 31 | Stalking; electronic threats/harassment; false reports; terroristic threats; identity theft; fraud; sexual exploitation |
Peoria police became involved after a series of swatting calls created repeated emergency responses within the city. Detectives say their probe connected messages and reports that affected people in Peoria and neighboring communities. As of the latest filings, Fernandez remains in custody on the listed charges; court proceedings are pending.
Prosecutors and patrol officials have emphasized the investigative complexity of cases that combine digital communications, identity issues and cross-jurisdictional false reports. Law enforcement officials typically ask anyone who believes they are a target of harassment or swatting to preserve records, report incidents promptly and, if immediate danger exists, to contact 911.
Investigations like this one also raise questions for residents about digital security, monitoring of VoIP and messaging services, and the strain false emergency calls place on public-safety resources. Peoria police did not provide additional public comment beyond details in court records and the arrest report at the time of publication.
Authorities have not released further identifying information about other alleged victims beyond descriptions in court paperwork. Anyone with information relevant to the investigation was asked to contact the Peoria Police Department.
