I-TEAM: SWAT team called on Enfield couple; police investigating if call was misunderstanding or more?

ENFIELD, CT. (WFSB) - A terrifying situation for one Enfield couple has left them scared and confused.

Did an out of state company send the police to their home because they believed they were a threat, or was it something else?

It was June 4th, around 3:15, when Enfield Dispatch received a call. The caller described an active hostage situation, and said they were calling from a business in Illinois.

“We’re a mortgage company and I just received a call from one of our supervisors. They were just on the phone with a borrower who is threatening someone in his home and will not release the person,” says the caller. The caller says the man holding someone hostage is Chris Allevo.

“One of our vendors was making an attempt to put a sign on the property and we’re not sure how this happened but that vendor is now currently in that home, in the closet. And the borrower, he seems to have a gun and is making a threat,” says the caller.

Police rush to the scene, only to find the call is not what it seems. Chris Allevo is hundreds of miles away on the road.

“I’m on my way to Philadelphia. I’m a truck driver,” says Allevo.

The only one in the home is his girlfriend, Carol Falkowski.

“I’m home taking a nap with my dog,” says Falkowski. “I heard a loud loud knock at the door. About 5 SWAT members went into my house and searched my home. I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I could have got shot; my dog could have got shot. You know if I moved the wrong way. I was scared.”

Police did call Allevo before going up to the house.

When he said he was on the road, the police got Carol’s number.

When it went to voicemail, they said they had to check and make sure everything was okay.

Police say it looks to be a game of telephone at work, but because of the rise of what they call swatting, they have to take these calls very seriously.

“We are continuing to look into exactly what occurred there, including the possibility that this was a swatting call or perhaps there may have been miscommunication between the people that were involved in this incident,” says Enfield Police Chief Alaric Fox.

Chief Fox says either scenario can be dangerous.

“These are always scary high-risk high-pressure situations. But without regard to what it ultimately turns out to be, officers have to respond, and I’d have it no other way,” says Chief Fox.

Though he admits, they’ve never had a call like this.

According to this police report, the caller worked for a company out of Illinois called Dovenmuhle.

They are a third party that helps banks with the foreclosure process.

Hours after the SWAT incident wrapped up, the caller explained to police that Allevo’s home was in pre-foreclosure, and that another employee had been speaking to Allevo earlier that day.

They “stated that Allevo was angry and not cooperative on the phone, and at one-point Allevo began making comments along the lines of “if someone steps onto my property, they are going to get very hurt” and “someone may get tied up and thrown in my closet.”

The employee said he alluded to having a weapon.

“That’s crazy. Never once did I ever state I had anybody at gunpoint or tied up in the house and I wasn’t releasing anybody,” says Allevo.

“I did talk to them earlier because I was trying to work with a litigation department. I did tell them that nobody should come on my property, and I put no trespassing signs up. And they’re the ones who prompted that.”

The employee goes on to say that because they couldn’t get in touch with a contractor scheduled to deliver a notice later that morning, they called Enfield Police to relay the threats.

The 911 call is more specific.

“One of our vendors was making an attempt to put a sign on the property and we’re not sure how this happened but that vendor is now currently in that home, in the closet. And the borrower seems to have a gun and is making a threat,” says the caller.

Allevo says he doesn’t have a gun.

“Not once have I ever stated that I owned a gun to anybody, any way shape or form,” says Allevo.

When asked why he thinks the company made this call.

“Because they want our home. These people told me point blank that they’re not working with me, that they want the home.”

The I-Team has emailed Dovenmuhle at least 7 times starting on July 8th and left several phone messages for the employee who called 911, and the company. We have never heard back.

The police report says it’s possible that “due to mis-conveyance the message was misinterpreted by (the employee) to EPD dispatchers.”

“If that occurs and there’s no criminal intent then there’s very likely no crime. Having said that, we’re not at a point yet to know that. At minimum that too is a dangerous situation, whether criminal or not,” says Chief Fox.

Chief Fox says whatever this situation turns out to be, people need to be careful.

“We want folks to call; we’re never going to discourage that. We want them to do the best they can in telling us what has occurred, but certainly the more accurate the information the better for everyone,” says Chief Fox.

Falkowski and Allevo know it could have been much worse but are grateful for the police and hope more can be done.

“I feel the person that made that call should be held accountable. I mean that was a pretty scary day for me,” says Falkowski.

“I’m very heartbroken about how this bank handled this,” says Allevo. “I don’t need anybody at my house getting hurt. My animals, my loved ones. For a couple bucks. That’s so stupid.”

The couple says they have not heard from the mortgage company since, nor have they received notices posted on their home like they did previously.

Enfield Police call this an open investigation.