A 30-year-old Peoria woman is facing 31 criminal counts after police say she spent years terrorizing her own parents, relatives, neighbors and members of a local Jehovah's Witness congregation with rape and death threats, fake 911 calls that triggered SWAT responses, and a scheme to frame an innocent man for crimes she allegedly committed herself. Shelbey Fernandez was arrested on Sunday, August 9, at the Peoria home she shared with her parents.
According to FOX 10 Phoenix, Fernandez allegedly used Voice over Internet Protocol phone numbers and email accounts to send messages threatening rape, shootings and other violence. Police say the threatening messages contained graphic sexual language, racial and religious slurs, and firearm images. Investigators identified 23 victims, according to the outlet, including a Maricopa County probation officer along with Fernandez's own relatives and neighbors.
Peoria police say the false emergency calls linked to Fernandez triggered SWAT and police responses not just locally but across state lines. Reports claiming hostage situations, drug overdoses, or active shootings sent emergency crews to homes in Peoria, New River, and Chino Valley, Arizona, as well as in Florida. One of the false reports specifically claimed that Fernandez's father had shot her mother.
A Church Forced Offline by Threats
Mass-shooting threats sent via VoIP numbers forced the Peoria Kingdom Hall — the Jehovah's Witness congregation where Fernandez's family worshipped — to abandon in-person services last month and move to a virtual format. The same reporting notes that services at the Kingdom Hall remained virtual weeks later because the threats continued.
The disruption illustrates how far-reaching the alleged campaign became, extending well beyond Fernandez's immediate family and into a broader community of worshippers who had no direct connection to the underlying dispute.
Doctor's Husband Allegedly Framed for Years
Perhaps the most convoluted thread in the case involves Fernandez's alleged impersonation of the husband of a surgeon who had previously treated her. Fernandez's parents reported that man to authorities, apparently believing he was behind the threats, before investigators determined Fernandez herself was allegedly the source of the harassment. Law enforcement records show Phoenix police investigations tied to that man date back to 2019, meaning the framing campaign, if proven, spanned several years before Peoria police made the arrest.
In one message cited in court documents, the sender wrote, “I'm about to swat your house sugar plum.” Search warrants identified Fernandez as the source of recent threatening activity, according to court documents.
Debit Card Fraud and a Disturbing Image
Beyond the threats and false reports, police allege Fernandez used her father's debit card without permission to place orders at Target. Investigators also say she sent a graphic image of a nude infant or toddler to her mother and a family friend in Florida, an allegation tied to the sexual exploitation of a minor charge among the 31 counts she now faces.
Peoria Police Sergeant William Kennedy said the investigation identified multiple victims, including community members and members of Fernandez's family. Kennedy confirmed Fernandez is in custody and was provided with a bond amount, though the amount itself was not detailed in the department's public account of the case.
Charges Carry Steep Penalties Under Arizona Law
Fernandez faces charges including stalking, electronic-device threats or harassment, harassment by false report, terroristic threats, fraudulent credit-card use, identity theft and sexual exploitation of a minor. Peoria Police Department and Maricopa County Superior Court records provided the information underlying the case.
Arizona's stalking statute, ARS § 13-2923, can escalate from a Class 5 felony to a Class 3 felony carrying up to seven years in prison when a course of conduct causes a victim to reasonably fear death or serious physical injury to themselves or an immediate family member, according to the Shouse Law Group. Separately, using electronic communications to threaten or harass someone under ARS § 13-2916 is classified as a Class 1 misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail and fines up to $2,500, per the Shouse Law Group's analysis of the statute.
The identity theft allegation carries its own weight. Under ARS § 13-2008, taking or using another person's identifying information without consent for an unlawful purpose is a Class 4 felony carrying a presumptive 2.5-year prison sentence for a first-time offender, according to Suzuki Law Offices. And under ARS § 13-2907, anyone convicted of making a false emergency report that prompts a response can be held financially liable for all expenses public safety agencies incur responding to the call, according to Arizona Revised Statutes.
Part of a Broader Swatting Problem
Arizona lawmakers have taken notice of swatting's toll on public safety resources in recent years. House Bill 2508, introduced in 2024, sought to heighten penalties for false emergency reports intended to cause public alarm, according to the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.
The stakes for local departments are real. Peoria Police Department crime data for the first half of 2026 showed 24 separate shooting incidents with 26 gunshot victims through June, according to WCBU — a workload that leaves little room for hoax calls diverting SWAT teams and patrol officers from genuine emergencies. Peoria, the eighth-largest city in Arizona with an estimated population exceeding 206,000, sits primarily in Maricopa County and has seen its police department's geographic responsibility expand alongside the city's growth, according to the City of Peoria.
All allegations against Fernandez remain unproven in court, and prosecutors have not yet secured a conviction on any of the 31 counts. The case remains under review in Maricopa County Superior Court.
