Scarborough police say they received 2 “swatting” calls reporting a hostage situation at a hotel and a sexual assault in a Walmart parking lot.

After police officers determined both calls were false reports, a suspect in Texas was identified and is expected to be charged, police said in a Monday night announcement about the incidents.

Police describe swatting as a “harassment tactic” of deceiving emergency services into sending police or other first responders to another person’s address by reporting false crimes. High-profile swatting cases reported across the country included an incident involving a Kansas man who was shot and killed by police who responded to a fake call at his home.

The first call was received at the Scarborough dispatch center at 1:40 a.m. Jan. 16 reporting a hostage situation involving a gun at an Old Orchard Beach hotel. The man who called the Old Orchard Beach non-emergency police line reported being shot in the stomach and gave a false description of a suspect, police said.

Scarborough provides dispatch services for Old Orchard Beach.

At 2 a.m. the same day, dispatchers received a call on the Scarborough non-emergency line from a man reporting a sexual assault in the Walmart parking lot. Before disconnecting the call, the caller reported the suspect had returned to the area and was after him, police said.

Responding officers found both reported emergencies were fabricated.

“Once the recordings were reviewed it was clear the callers were very likely the same individual,” police said in a Facebook post.

Scarborough police received assistance from the FBI because of the seriousness of the alleged crime. Police did not provide further details about the suspect or what charges may be filed.