Dennis Bell, 39, was sentenced to five years in state prison for second-degree unlawful possession of a handgun, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said in a news release on Monday, Nov. 18.
Egg Harbor Township police responded to a domestic dispute at a home on Leap Street on Monday, Feb. 12. The caller said her ex-boyfriend had a gun.
Officers found Bell in a bedroom being held down by the couple's underage son. Bell told police he came to the home to return a gun to his ex-girlfriend.
The woman told police that she noticed her gun was missing from her safe and Bell was the only other person who knew the combination. She called Bell to ask him about the missing gun but he denied having it.
Investigators said Bell then unexpectedly arrived at the home, entered a bedroom, and pulled out the gun while yelling at the victim. The woman called for her son and he pinned Bell down on the bed until police arrived.
Police found the Taurus G3C 9mm pistol and "rendered it safe." The gun was loaded with 10 bullets including one in the chamber.
At Bell's sentencing on Thursday, Nov. 14, the judge ruled he must serve at least one year before he can be eligible for parole.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Villas-Lower Township and receive free news updates.