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Cell Phone Credited For Stopping Bullet, Saving Man's Life

Posted: 12:15 pm EST January 16, 2006Updated: 2:32 pm EST January 16, 2006

A Citrus County man is out of the hospital after his cell phone stopped a bullet from killing him.

"I was already asleep on the couch and then he came over, 'Help me, help me, help me.' He says, 'Take me to the hospital, I've been shot, I've been shot,'" explained neighbor Grace Carver.

Carver was at her Crystal River home Friday night when, she said, John Stephens ran up to her house.

Deputies said Stephens was at his winter home when someone inside the home shot at him twice.

"Right now, it's kinda unknown whether a burglary was interrupted or somebody had seen the house vacant and was staying in it, or what, and was just surprised by Mr. Stephens coming in the front door," explained Gail Tierney, Citrus County Sheriff's Office.

The first bullet hit Stephens' shirt pocket, where his cell phone slowed the bullet enough to keep it from killing him.

Deputies said they have very few leads.
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