A man allegedly smashed cell phones belonging to two women so they couldn’t call police. But one of those phones was programmed to send an S.O.S. in the event it was broken and became inoperable.

John Robert Wood, Jr., 34, Cayuga, is being summoned to appear in Greene Superior Court in September to face charges in connection to an incident that occurred in late July, investigated by Deputy Davis Aerne of the Greene County Sheriff’s Department.

At 12:12 p.m. on Thursday, July 22, a woman called the sheriff’s department and said she received an “S.O.S.” from her daughter who was at a residence on South Toon Road.

When Deputy Aerne arrived, he talked to two women. One of them was the caller’s daughter who explained John Wood Jr. had been there in an argument with the other woman. She said he took the other woman’s phone and broke it then took her own phone out of her hand and smashed it on a sidewalk so the women could not call law enforcement. She also explained that once her phone broke, it sent an “S.O.S.” to everyone. Deputy Aerne reported the back of the phone, an iPhone 12, was cracked and a piece of the back was broken off exposing the inside of the cell phone. The glass front was also busted and shattered.

The other woman said she was trying to leave and wanted her cell phone, purse and car keys but Wood refused to give them to her. Deputy Aerne reported the back of her phone, an iPhone mini, was busted and a large piece missing from the bottom exposing the inside. The front screen was also busted and shattered. The woman said Wood had left with her purse and car keys.

Wood had been gone from the scene for over 30 minutes.

A criminal case was filed against Wood on August 4 on charges of: