• By
  • Jacob Gershman

Pocket-dialing is a dangerous drain on emergency 911 systems. But in rare moments of serendipity, the phenomenon of errant calls placed by posterior-activated cellphones proves helpful for law enforcement.

Take the case of Scott Simon, a 25-year-old Oakland Park, Fla. man whom police say unwittingly spilled the beans about his plan to murder another man just before the victim was shot and killed.

The Broward Sheriff’s Office says Mr. Simon’s cellphone dialed 911 at quite the inopportune time for him. “In a recorded line, Scott Simon can be heard telling someone else that he’s going to follow the victim home and kill him,” according to the sheriff’s office.  Minutes later, the victim was shot while driving on the highway, causing a fiery crash.

Mr. Simon was arrested Tuesday night and charged with first-degree murder. The sheriff’s office doesn’t believe he was the trigger man but suspects he helped “coordinate” the murder after having an argument with the victim at a nearby Waffle House. They’re still trying to find two other suspects. An attorney for Mr. Simon could not be immediately reached.

The suspect can take a little comfort in knowing that he’s not alone. Others have been betrayed by their own phone.

In 2011, two Wisconsin men were arrested after they unwittingly told 911 operators about their plans to sell stolen DVDs and computer games to a used video game store, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.