State Parks responds with allied agencies to a report that an officer had been shot

“State Parks peace officers will assist their local law enforcement partners where needed whether it’s an emergency call of an officer down, a search and rescue, or a call in which they are a closest responder.  It takes a team of law enforcement officers to keep the public safe.   When someone calls in a false report of an officer down, that false report takes police resources away from the community puts public at risk.”

CSLEA President Alan Barcelona 

MONTEREY COUNTY – Monterey County Sheriff’s Office deputies have arrested a man who falsely reported seeing an officer get shot.  His call to 911 resulted in a large law enforcement response.

On June 20, 2025, about 1:30 p.m., Monterey County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a report of an officer that had been shot in the Prunetree Shopping Center located on the 17500 block of Vierra Canyon Road. The unidentified caller reported that he saw an officer get shot after seeing him fighting with someone.

This call resulted in a multi-agency law enforcement response that included the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, California Highway Patrol and California State Parks. An extensive area search was conducted, and no victims were located. It was also confirmed that all deputies and officers were safely accounted for.

Around the same time, a call of a peace disturbance was received at a residence located on the 17000 block of Highway 156. Deputies were able to confirm that a family quarrel had occurred and that one of the involved parties had left the scene on foot. Deputies were able to learn that the phone number related to the original false 911 call was connected to the residence where the quarrel occurred.

At about 2:20 p.m., deputies located Cesar Antonio Zuniga Espinoza, 25, of Prunedale at a gas station on the 8600 block of Prunedale North Road. He was detained without incident and found to be in possession of the phone that the false emergency had been called in from. He was also found to have multiple outstanding misdemeanor warrants with a total bail of $10,000. He will be booked into the Monterey County Jail for violation of 148.3 PC, Reporting a False Emergency; 148.5(a) PC Making a False Police Report and his outstanding warrants.