crime

Suicide attempt ends in arrest for depressed cage fighter

By Roy Bouth ⋅ April 3, 2008 ⋅  Email this article ⋅  Print this article ⋅ Post a comment

Injured teen: Really hurt but A-okay now.

Beckley, WV — An amateur cage fighter is in police custody after assaulting a teenager who tried to steal his belongings while he was attempting to commit suicide.

Brandon Ross, 26, has been arrested by Beckley police following assault and battery charges filed by Dylan Frye, 17. Frye suffered a broken rib and several cuts and bruises after Ross attacked him.

“He, like, tackled me to the ground, put me in a headlock, and did all kinds of crazy UFC shit on me. It really hurt,” said the Kanawha County teen.

The incident occurred over the weekend at Lake Stephens where both men were camping out at separate locations. The former said he went camping to mend from a failed relationship, while the latter was there on a school excursion.

According to the official police report, things were proceeding smoothly for Ross until he heard James Blunt’s “You’re Beautiful” on his iPod while hiking. At that point, he became suicidal and decided he was going to end his life by jumping into the frigid waters of the lake.

The Ghent resident found a secluded elevated area overlooking the lake and proceeded to strip away all his personal belongings and lay them all out on the ground, just like in the James Blunt video. As he was about to jump into the icy waters below, Ross said he saw Frye sneaking up and grabbing his iPod and iPhone.

“I just went ballistic when I saw him do that. Like, dude, I’m about to kill myself here and you’re jacking my shit? Not cool,” Ross said in a police interview.

Frye doesn’t understand why Ross got so violent.

“It’s not like he could take those things with him after he dies,” the teen said.

Ross is being held at Beckley Correctional Center on $100,000 bond. He is also presently on a suicide watch.