Daytona Beach police: Man lied about shooting to find lost cellphone

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — A Daytona Beach man has been arrested after police said he lied about a person shot so that he could get his cellphone out of a home, police said.

Police were called to a home Sunday morning on Belair Drive after Eric Ross told 911 dispatchers that a woman had been shot by another man who was still armed with a gun, police said.

Ross continued to tell 911 dispatchers he was across the street and saw the victim in the front yard gasping for air, police said. He told police that children were inside the home and he heard the shooting while walking by the home, investigators said.

When police arrived, they found another man who they thought was the shooter, but later cleared him.

Police questioned Ross and said he admitted that no one had been shot and that he made up the story because he thought his cellphone was inside the home and when he called his number, no one responded, investigators said.

Ross was arrested on charges of misuse of 911 and burglary from when he tried to enter the home, police said.

It wasn’t clear if Ross’ cellphone was inside the home, but the phone he used to call 911 was entered into evidence. The woman questioned by police told them Ross' cellphone was not in her home, investigators said.

Channel 9's Janine Reyes is following this developing story. Check back on wftv.com and Eyewitness News at 5 p.m.

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