Woman facing criminal charge after calling 911 nine times in eight days: "Abusing the system"

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A Cleveland woman is facing a criminal charge after police say she called 911 nine times in just eight days. 

A police report shows the woman called 911 for an ambulance in early April -- for the ninth time in eight days. The report also says she’s called 22 times since January.

A recording of the 911 call in the latest case shows the woman complained that she was "having trouble breathing."

A police report shows the woman complained that her stomach was grumbling, and she "just wanted to see paramedics again."

One of the recordings shows that a dispatcher actually asked that police go out to the woman's house. The dispatcher is heard saying:

“She’s literally abusing the system. And we are out there habitually a few times a day, at least, transporting her. There’s nothing wrong with her most of the time. We have people that really need ambulances here."

The woman lives about a block away from a hospital emergency room.

WJW tried to reach the woman, and a man at her apartment complex said she wasn't around.

"She just went somewhere in an ambulance," the man said.

The woman is facing a charge of "making false alarms." She could face up to six months in jail, and up to a $1,000 fine.

Meanwhile, officials in Cleveland are stressing that if you think you may need an ambulance, you shouldn't hesitate to call 911 right away.

 

But paramedics often get swamped trying to keep up with their calls. And going to a call, treating a patient and then traveling to a hospital can tie up a crew for an hour -- so there’s not much patience for someone abusing the system.