An Ohio woman — who procecutors accuse of being a “serial 911 abuser” — has pleaded guilty to making hundreds of calls for nonexistent emergencies, including one that resulted in a person’s death.
Kesha S. Kennedy, of Zanesville, “pleaded guilty to felony disrupting public services, felony making false alarms, and 25 counts of misdemeanour misuse of 911 systems,” Muskingum County Prosecutor’s Office said in a press release.
Prosecutors said the 34-year-old woman “called 911 almost 400 times, complaining of various illnesses” since 2020.
She allegedly called for first responders multiple times every week, sometimes several times in a single day.
The local fire department responded to her calls and “became strained by her improper and frequent use of emergency resources,” according to the press release.
Prosecutors said ambulances and first responders transporting Kennedy for nonexistent emergencies were unavailable to service those experiencing actual emergencies.
In one incident, prosecutors said first responders were “unable to respond to a call involving a person unable to breathe because they were transporting Kennedy for a fake call. The person with breathing trouble later died.”
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Staff at the hospital repeatedly told her she had no medical issues or emergencies, but the staff had to triage her every time she arrived, according to the press release.
It added that her hospital visits were funded by taxpayers through Medicaid.
A forensic psychologist evaluated Kennedy prior to her plea.
Muskingum County Assistant Prosecutor John Litle told court she demonstrated “a factitious disorder, which means that she’s a liar.”
Kennedy will be sentenced at a later date.