Summary
A man in Santa Ana, California shared an image that appeared to show a Gaboon viper on a backyard shed roof, prompting police to issue a public warning and prompting residents and herpetologists to search the area. The photo led some parents to keep children indoors and generated media coverage and multiple emergency calls.
After about two days of investigation, detectives interviewed the man, who admitted he had fabricated the image; police said the photo was generated by AI. Authorities are assembling a case to recommend charging him with making a false report of an emergency. Police investigated the scene (including droppings that could have been consistent with the reptile) before concluding the image was a hoax.