MURRIETA - A ham radio operator who allegedly transmitted bomb threats, jammed police and fire channels and interrupted Inland Empire emergency agencies' radio traffic pleaded not guilty today to felony charges.

Irene Marie Levy, 29, is charged with making criminal threats and making a false bomb report. She is also facing misdemeanor counts of maliciously interrupting a communications transmission and obstructing arrest.

Levy, whose bail was set at $25,000, is due back in court on Monday for a bail review hearing.

A felony settlement conference was set for next Thursday, and a preliminary hearing was tentatively scheduled for May 20.

Levy was arrested at her home in the 900 block of South Grand Avenue in San Jacinto early Monday, after investigators tracked her down using directional radios and triangulation, according to Hemet police Lt. Mark Richards.

The intentional interference with police and fire radio communications allegation involved a bomb threat, as well as "specific" and "unequivocal" threats made to a certain sergeant, leading him to fear for the safety of his family, according to court papers.

The alleged illegal radio use was not connected to recent, unsolved attacks on Hemet law enforcement, their equipment and facilities, Richards said.

Riverside police assisted in the weekend-long efforts in finding Levy, who allegedly boasted that police would never find her and disguised her voice as male, Richards said.

The transmissions were sporadic, beginning Saturday evening and ending seconds before police burst in on the suspect minutes after 12:01 a.m. Monday, Richards said.

Investigators seized 11 radio transmitters, seven radio frequency scanners, radio frequency lists, computer equipment and other miscellaneous radio equipment, the lieutenant said.

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MURRIETA - A ham radio operator who allegedly transmitted bomb threats, jammed police and fire channels and interrupted Inland Empire emergency agencies' radio traffic was charged today with making criminal threats.

Irene Marie Levy, 28, is due in court Thursday on the criminal threats count, along with charges of making a false bomb report and one misdemeanor count each of maliciously interrupting a communications transmission and obstructing arrest.

The San Jacinto resident had been scheduled to make her initial appearance toady but was not transported from the jail because she was not medically cleared. The nature of her illness was not made public.

Levy was arrested at her home in the 900 block of South Grand Avenue, after investigators tracked her down using directional radios and triangulation, according to Hemet police Lt. Mark Richards.

The intentional interference with police and fire radio communications allegation involved a bomb threat in which the deaths of police officers and firefighters were mentioned, Richards said.

But the illegal radio use was not connected to the recent attacks on Hemet law enforcement, their equipment and facilities, he said.

Riverside police assisted in the weekend-long efforts in finding Levy, who allegedly boasted that police would never find her and disguised her voice as male, Richards said.

The transmissions were sporadic, beginning Saturday evening and ending seconds before police burst in on the suspect just after midnight on Monday, Richards said.

Investigators seized 11 radio transmitters, seven radio frequency scanners, radio frequency lists, computer equipment and other miscellaneous radio equipment, Richards said.

Levy's ham radio license had been issued by the Federal Communications Commission last September, he said. Such a license allows the holder to transmit on radio frequencies adjacent to police and fire channels, but never allows use of the public safety frequencies, authorities said.

The illegal transmissions interrupted radio communications during a Cal Fire search-and-rescue call, a vegetation fire and a major traffic accident in which other agencies assisted Hemet emergency personnel, Richards said.

Levy Advertisement

[ Berry-Bell and Hall Mortuary ] remains behind bars in lieu of $25,000, pending her court appearance.

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San Jacinto woman arrested for transmitting threats on police and fire channelsMURRIETA - A 29-year-old ham radio operator allegedly transmitted bomb threats, jammed police and fire channels, and interrupted Inland Empire emergency agency radio traffic, and is set to appear in court Wednesday.

Irene Marie Levy was arrested at her home in the 900 block of South Grand Avenue, in San Jacinto, after police tracked her down using directional radios and triangulation, according to Hemet police Lt. Mark Richards.

The intentional interference with police and fire radio communications included a bomb threat and mentioned the deaths of police officers and firefighters, Richards said. But the illegal radio use was not connected to the recent attacks on Hemet law enforcement, their equipment and facilities, he added.

Riverside police assisted the weekend-long efforts in finding Levy, who allegedly boasted to police would never find her and disguised her voice as male, Richards said.

The transmissions were sporadic, beginning Saturday evening and ending seconds before police burst in on her just after midnight Monday, Richards said.

Investigators seized 11 radio transmitters, seven radio frequency scanners, radio frequency lists, computer equipment and other miscellaneous radio equipment, Richards said.

Her ham radio license had been issued by the FCC in September, he said. Such a license would allow a person to transmit on radio frequencies adjacent to police and fire channels, but never to allow use of the public safety frequencies.

The illegal transmissions interrupted radio communications during a Cal Fire search-and-rescue call, a vegetation fire and a major traffic accident in which other agencies assisted Hemet emergency personnel, Richards said.

During the transmissions, Levy allegedly made references to the death of police and fire personnel and made a bomb threat, Richards said.

Levy was booked into the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility on suspicion of obstruction, making a false bomb report, making terrorist threats and disrupting emergency radio transmissions.

She remained behind bars in lieu of $25,000, pending her court appearance.

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HEMET - An amateur radio operator was arrested in her San Jacinto mobile home today for allegedly transmitting on police and fire channels, interrupting authorized scanner traffic and making at least one bomb threat.

Irene Marie Levy, 29, was arrested at her home in the 900 block of South Grand Avenue after police tracked her down through directional triangulation techniques, according to Hemet police Lt. Mark Richards.

Riverside police assisted the weekend-long efforts in finding Levy, who allegedly boasted that police would never find her and disguised her voice as male, Richards said.

The transmissions were sporadic, beginning Saturday evening and ending seconds before police burst in on her just after midnight today, Richards said.

Investigators seized 11 radios, seven radio frequency scanners, radio frequency lists, computer equipment and other miscellaneous radio equipment, Richards said.

Her radio license was issued by the FCC in September, he said.

The illegal transmissions interrupted radio communications during a Cal Fire search-and-rescue call, a vegetation fire and a major traffic accident in which other agencies assisted Hemet emergency personnel, Richards said.

During the transmissions, Levy allegedly made references to the death of police and fire personnel and made a bomb threat, Richards said.

Levy was booked into the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility on suspicion of obstruction, making a false bomb report, making terrorist threats and disrupting CB radio emergency transmissions.

She remained behind bars in lieu of $25,000, pending a court date Wednesday.

Levy's actions are not connected to the recent attacks on Hemet law enforcement, their equipment and facilities, Richards said.