Woman Who Called 911 Nearly 400 Times Pleads Guilty to Slew of Charges
A 34-year-old woman from Zanesville, Ohio, made a hobby of calling 911 for fun. Kesha S. Kennedy has pleaded guilty to what prosecutors have labeled "serial 911 abuse" after making hundreds of false emergency calls - one of which resulted in a death.
Nearly 400 Calls
Kennedy appeared before Judge Mark C. Fleegle on July 12. The evidence against her showed she had placed nearly 400 calls to emergency services since 2020. These calls, which ranged from several times a week to multiple times a day, were described as "personal entertainment" for Kennedy, who frequently requested ambulance rides to the hospital.
Crimes and Charges
One of Kennedy's false calls prevented fire department personnel from attending to a person who was struggling to breathe. The delay ultimately resulted in the person's death. In another incident, the same fire department was left short-staffed for a fire because the team was responding to Kennedy's bogus emergency.
On July 15, the Muskingum County Prosecutor's Office said Kennedy had pleaded guilty to charges including felony disrupting public services, felony making false alarms, and 25 counts of misdemeanor misuse of 911. Prosecutors said Kennedy's behavior involved repeatedly calling emergency services for non-existent crises, and she even diverted first responders from genuine emergencies.
Medical Evaluations
Kennedy's frequent calls, sometimes multiple times a day, were a drain on both the ambulance services and Genesis Hospital, where she was repeatedly informed that she had no legitimate medical issues. Each of her hospital visits and ambulance transports were funded by taxpayers through Medicaid.
Previous History
A forensic psychologist's evaluation before Kennedy's plea revealed a "factitious disorder," indicating deliberate deception, Muskingum County Assistant Prosecutor John Litle said according to PEOPLE. Litle also noted Kennedy's history of similar abuses in Licking, Guernsey, Franklin, and Cuyahoga counties.
In 2023, Kennedy was convicted of misusing the 911 system in Licking County. Despite warnings from Newark Police Department officers that further non-emergency calls would lead to arrest, Kennedy continued her pattern of behavior. During a behavioral emergency report at Licking Memorial Hospital on August 23, 2023, Kennedy feigned incapacitation and confusion when questioned by officers, though medical staff confirmed she was neither disabled nor in need of further medical attention.
Kennedy will face sentencing at a later date.
References: Woman Called 911 Nearly 400 Times for 'Nonexistent Emergencies' | Zanesville Woman Pleads Guilty to Serial 911 Abuse
