A Lady Lake man will appear in court next week for allegedly having his lover’s apartment swatted after an argument.
On the night of Dec. 12, a male sexual partner of 32-year-old Terrell Dontae Edwards called 911 saying he would not leave his residence in Oakleaf Villages Apartment Homes, located on County Road 466, according to an arrest report from the Lady Lake Police Department.
The partner hung up with dispatch after giving his location and an incident description. Dispatch called the number back and spoke to Edwards, who stated he did not know what was going on but would check with his partner to make sure everything was OK, the report said.
While officers responded to the initial complaint, the same phone number called dispatch again. Edwards had called to say someone shot a roommate. He then started to yell and scream, claiming he was about to be shot, before disconnecting the call, the report said.
Dispatchers called the number back, and Edwards answered, stating, “Good luck finding them,” only to immediately disconnect. The number called in once more for Edwards to say, “Michael shot him,” cry and end the conversation. Dispatchers subsequently determined the phone number reporting the homicide belonged to Edwards who lived in the same apartment homes as the partner, the report said.
Numerous Lady Lake and Fruitland Park officers, along with EMS, responded to the apartment due to multiple subjects reported to have been shot. The officers made an armed tactical approach to the partner’s apartment. He was extremely startled by the heavily armed officers, the report said.
He proceeded to explain that Edwards had been over at his place but refused to leave, so he used Edwards’ phone to make the initial report about wanting him to be removed. Edwards left when he called 911 and took his phone. He was unaware of the reports of people being shot and did not know he was the suspect, the report said.
The officers moved on to Edwards’ apartment where a neighbor gave a description of him and stated he left on foot as law enforcement arrived at the apartment complex. They subsequently spotted Edwards walking on the backside of an apartment building across a retention pond area with his female cousin. He became very hostile and argumentative when they approached him, the report said.
Edwards was then detained, revealing a black iPhone in his hands at the time. When dispatchers called the number that reported the shooting, his phone rang, the report said.
He advised that he had been in a sexual relationship with his partner for about six months. He had gone out for a drink that night, and they began to argue. During this, the partner used Edwards’ Siri feature to call 911, the report said.
Edwards left and went to his apartment at that point. He later noticed a lot of police cars coming into the area but saw his cousin walking her dog at the same time, so he went to her to say, “They’re probably here for me.” However, he denied all allegations of the swatting call and stated the partner must have done it using his phone, the report said.
He was ultimately arrested on charge of false reports to law enforcement officer regarding capital felony (swatting). He was transported Lake County Jail and released after posting $2,500 bond. A court date has been set for Jan. 5.