HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – Bluetooth technology might have saved a South Florida woman's life after she was abducted outside her home while talking on the phone with her husband.
Police said the victim, Priscilla Cercone, had gotten out of her car about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday to get the mail when she was approached by a man who was armed with a gun.
"He has a gun pointed at me and he says, 'If you don't do what I say, I'll kill you,'" Cercone said.
Bernard Owens, 21, then ordered Cercone to drive him to two ATMs so she could withdraw money, Hollywood police said.
According to authorities, the victim's husband was still on the Bluetooth listening the entire time and quickly called 911.
Police said Owens told Cercone to drive back to her house after he wasn't happy with the money she gave him from the ATM. As she pulled into the neighborhood, Hollywood police had already shown up.
"When she gets to the residence, the car is still in drive, the police cars are there with him screaming in the back and (officers) placed him into custody," Detective Christopher Doyle said.
When officers caught up with Owens, they said they found the Cercone's cellphone and about $600 in cash. A handgun was also recovered nearby, police said.
"Always carry your phone. Always carry somebody on your ear (on your Bluetooth)," Cercone said through tears. "Wherever you go, tell them where you're going, because sometimes you believe that nobody has to know what you do and nobody has to know where you're going and doing or your decisions in life, but you always need somebody to know where you are."
Owens appeared in court Wednesday, where he was ordered to be held in jail without bond.
He faces armed robbery and kidnapping charges. Records show that he was convicted of felony armed robbery in 2013.
Cercone, who jumped out of her moving car when she saw police, was not injured during the incident.