Santa Ana police say snake report is a hoax involving an AI image

Santa Ana police said Tuesday that a reported Gaboon viper sighting was fabricated, according to NBC Los Angeles. The man behind the report admitted making it up and supplying an AI-generated image after the warning prompted a search.

The false report prompted police to warn residents about a loose, highly venomous snake and brought reptile experts to search a residential backyard. The finding resolved the reported threat behind the neighborhood alert.

The initial report Monday placed the snake in a backyard along Cypress Avenue near Bishop Street, NBC Los Angeles reported. Police then alerted the public to a purported loose Gaboon viper.

Gaboon vipers are native to sub-Saharan Africa and are extremely venomous, according to the report. Reptile experts searched extensively but found no snake.

Officials contacted the man who reported the sighting after the unsuccessful search. He acknowledged that both the sighting report and the accompanying image were fabricated, NBC Los Angeles reported.

Officials said the image had already drawn skepticism because Gaboon vipers generally have larger, heavier bodies than the snake shown. The police department warned that realistic AI images, when presented as fact, can cause fear and confusion in the community.

It was not immediately clear whether the man would face charges, NBC Los Angeles reported. The report did not identify a motive.