Man arrested after ‘swatting’ wife with fake murder confession, police say
A man is facing felony charges after Bradenton police say he falsely claimed he had killed at least one woman aboard a boat at Twin Dolphin Marina in a “swatting” hoax that prompted a large emergency response.
Ronald Sellars, 33, of Brooksville, was arrested Friday with assistance from the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office and charged with filing a false report concerning the use of firearms in a violent manner, a second-degree felony, and unlawful use of a two-way communications device, a third-degree felony, according to the Bradenton Police Department.
On the morning of May 29, Bradenton police said they were notified of messages sent through the national 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline chat function.
According to police, the person using the chat claimed to be aboard a boat at Twin Dolphin Marina, said he had killed at least one woman and planned to die by suicide. The messages also included the boat owner’s phone number.
Because of the seriousness of the report, the department deployed patrol officers, its Drone Unit, SWAT Team and Hostage Negotiation Team to the marina.
After several attempts, officers contacted the boat owner and a woman aboard the vessel. Police said both were unharmed and unaware of the online threats.
Investigators learned Sellars, the woman’s husband, had repeatedly tried to contact the pair in the day leading up to the incident and the day it occurred, according to police.
Sellars denied contacting the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, but detectives later obtained digital evidence linking his electronic devices to the online chat messages, police said.
Police described the case as a “swatting” incident, in which someone makes a false emergency report intended to trigger a large law enforcement response. The department said the hoaxes divert emergency resources and create unnecessary hazards for first responders and the public.
Sellars remains in custody at the Hernando County Jail, according to police.
