WEST MONROE, N.Y. (AP) – A 33-year-old man has been charged with falsely reporting an incident after faking his own hanging as an April Fool’s joke on his ex-wife, according to Oswego County sheriff’s deputies.

Randy Wood phoned his ex-wife about 6 p.m. Thursday and said he had something he wanted to show her at his home in West Monroe, 17 miles northeast of Syracuse, deputies said. She found him hanging from a tree in the front yard with a rope around his neck.

Wood had secured himself with a lineman’s harness like those used by utility crews, but his ex-wife called 911 before he told her it was a prank, deputies said. Firefighters, deputies and an ambulance had been sent. Wood could face a fine of up to $1,000 and a year in jail on the misdemeanor.

“He claims he did it as an April Fools’ joke, but obviously, it’s not a funny matter,” Sheriff Reuel Todd said, noting rescue personnel were put at risk driving to the scene.

—

Information from: The Post-Standard, http://www.syracuse.com

AP-ES-04-03-04 1418EST