GASTONIA, N.C. — The Gastonia Police Department arrested a man and his girlfriend after investigators used a new gunshot detection system to disprove their claim that a shooting was a drive-by incident. The 57-year-old suspect and his partner were charged with first-degree burglary following an attempted break-in on July 12 that resulted in the suspect being shot by a homeowner.

The homeowner, identified as 74-year-old Donald Bolynn, fired a gunshot through a window, striking the man during the attempted break-in. Bolynn is an elderly disabled resident with multiple health issues, including hearing loss. Investigators determined that the man had been attempting to break into the home at approximately 7:13 a.m. when the homeowner fired through the window.

Home surveillance video captured the 57-year-old man, identified as Cedric Ford, trying to enter the home on Ware Avenue. Doorbell camera video shows Ford trying to pry open a front door before trying to come through a window. The injured man and his girlfriend, identified as 47-year-old Sanja Stallings, drove to a store and called 911, stating that the man had been shot in a drive-by shooting. Police said the couple’s account of a drive-by shooting was false.

The Gastonia Police Department’s Real Time Crime Center received a gunshot detection alert from a Flock Safety sensor at approximately 7:14 a.m. The gunshot detection alert originated from one of 158 Flock Safety sensors located roughly within 100 feet of the Ware Avenue residence. Investigators matched the gunshot detection alert to the location of the attempted burglary. The Gastonia Police Department stated its gunshot detection system had been operational for two weeks and this was the first solved case using the technology.

Detectives learned that Ford and Stallings were suspects in a July 2 robbery reported at a home on Ware Avenue. The resident reported being the victim of multiple burglaries and robberies involving the same suspects during the previous month. Ford and Stallings were arrested and each charged with first-degree burglary. The homeowner fired a gunshot through a window, striking the suspect. Gastonia police stated the homeowner will not face charges.

The incident occurred in Gastonia, a city in North Carolina with a recorded population of 236 and an area of 134.219 square kilometers. North Carolina had a population of 10,470,214 according to the U.S. Census Bureau 2022 American Community Survey.