MANCHESTER – A township man remains lodged in Ocean County Jail for using a cell phone app that masked his true phone number so he could make false service calls.
Police confirmed 29-year-old Michael Woehrle faces a slew of charges in the alleged incidents.
Township police were called to a Mockingbird Way residence in the Pine Ridge section of Manchester on December 14 regarding an anonymous tip claiming narcotic related activity.
During the investigation, it was ascertained that no illegal narcotic activity had actually occurred.
Police did learn that the residents of the Mockingbird Way residence had received multiple unsolicited commercial service companies respond to their house during the day.
These commercial services included: a taxi service, pizza delivery service as well as electric and gas services
After responding to the call, township police received several emergency response related calls for service, all involving the Mockingbird Way address. These calls which were determined to be false included a brush fire, a structure fire and two in-progress stabbing incidents.
Authorities were able to use information obtained from the numerous false phone calls to trace the phone numbers to a caller identification spoofing app which allows users to change their phone number to any number they choose.
Investigators worked with the app’s security division to obtain information which ultimately led them to a Martin Drive residence also located within the Pine Ridge development.
Once at the residence, members of the Manchester Police Patrol and Investigations Bureau identified the suspect as Michael Woehrle of Martin Drive.
Woehrle was subsequently arrested and charged with four counts of creating a false public alarm. He was then transferred to the Ocean County Jail pending a detention hearing.
