Hernando man arrested after calling 911 thirteen times

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The calls a 911 operator answers can be a matter of life and death.

"They talk to people who are hiding in a closet because someone is breaking in," said Denise Moloney, the public information officer for the Hernando County Sheriff's Office. "They talk people through there is no pulse, no breathing."

But on Sunday, thirteen calls came in that were anything but.

"This is not like a complete, major emergency," said the caller, who was later identified as Eric Nielsen, 58, of Spring Hill.

Deputies say it seems he just wanted someone to talk to.

"I feel better that I talked to somebody," he said, "especially a woman."

Officials estimate that his calls ate up an hour of time on the 911 system.

"Obviously we don't let any calls go unanswered," said Moloney. "But that time could be better spent doing something different, than entertaining someone on 9-1-1 because they don't have anything else to do."

He discussed his relationships, his house guests, doctors in New Brunswick, New Jersey and how he was once a child prodigy.

"I am not bragging," he said.

Once, the operator had to have him hang on because something actually important was happening.

She clicked over to find a caller saying he was following behind a drunk driver.

Deputies arrested Nielsen for misuse of 911.

"Everyone in society has something that is upsetting them," said Moloney. "But they don't call 911 to tell our operators about it."

Nielsen was arrested and held on a $1,000 bond.