Another Crank 9-1-1 Call Sends Lake County Deputies Scrambling

(CBS) -- For the second time in 24 hours, a crank caller told police he killed a family member -- sending Lake County, Ill. officers on a wild goose chase in response.

In the latest incident, a caller to Vernon Hills police claimed about 7 p.m. Thursday that he killed his mother with a gun.

Because the address given was in unincorporated Lincolnshire, Vernon Hills turned it over immediately to Lake County Sheriff's police, which dispatched seven deputies before determining it was a prank and that all in the home were safe.

Sheriff's Police Sgt. Christopher Covelli said the call came in to Vernon Hills police seven hours after a series of crank calls made to Lake Zurich police brought out more than 40 officers, including a SWAT team and the bomb squad, to Hawthorn Woods.

"It's extremely frustrating," Covelli says of the wasted resources.

The caller ID on the Lake Zurich calls gave a number tied to a village-owned building; the Vernon Hill caller blocked his caller ID.

Despite that, Covelli said detectives have reason to believe that the Hawthorn Woods and Vernon Hills incidents are linked. If the caller is found, he will face a series of felony charges.