Armed Teenager Call in Eaton Canyon a False Alarm

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department was on the verge of calling out a helicopter to help apprehend an armed teenager in Eaton Canyon when deputies on the scene were able to confirm the teenager was, in fact, working with his friends on a video project.

A call that a teen was standing on the bridge over the Eaton Wash pointing a gun at people below the bridge came in over police radio frequencies shortly after 10 a.m.

Shortly after arriving on the scene, deputies were able to confirm the gun was a fake and that the kids were filming a movie, said Sgt. Stewart of the Altadena Sheriff's Department.

Witness Art Stasney lives on Pinecrest Drive, which overlooks the area and has access to the bridge.  He said a bunch of police cars pulled up and the scene was flooded with officers. 

Once the officers got a look at the "suspects" and the gun, however, some of them started to break out laughing Stasney said.

He said he is sure one of his neighbors with a view into the canyon phoned in the initial report.

Stasney said he's seen all kinds of strange things happen in the canyon area over the years.

"It's typical of a sunny morning at the Pinecrest gate," Stasney said. "Every nutty thing that's ever happened has happened here."