A Westwood man was accused Friday of lying to police about a gun when they interviewed him about the shooting death last month of Sara Ridder.

        Daniel Battaglia Jr., 28, was indicted by a Hamilton County grand jury on a charge of obstructing justice.

        Police and prosecutors would say only that Mr. Battaglia interfered with “a homicide investigation.” But sources confirmed the investigation involved the death of Ms. Ridder.

        Ms. Ridder, 24, was found shot to death in her Westwood apartment the morning of April 15. The mother of three was a Cincinnati police dispatcher and the daughter of Pete Ridder, a former Fraternal Order of Police president who retired from the force last year.

        Police would not say why Mr. Battaglia was questioned about the homicide, but they believe he lied to them about a gun.

        When he initially spoke to detectives on April 15, he did not give them information about the weapon, said Lt. Kurt Byrd, spokesman for the Cincinnati Police Department. Four days later, he did tell them about it.

        The complaint filed against him by police says Mr. Battaglia communicated false information about the location and possession of the gun “with purpose to hinder the discovery or apprehension of another.”

        Ms. Ridder's relatives have said her death came just one night after she moved back to her Boudinot Avenue apartment. Before that, they said, she spent several weeks living with relatives and friends to hide from the father of her three children, William David Boyles.

        Mr. Boyles was accused in March of punching her, was charged with domestic violence and ordered to stay away from Ms. Ridder.

        In addition to the obstructing justice charge, Mr. Battaglia was charged this week with a federal firearms violation.

        Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms arrested him after learning that he had a .22-caliber pistol with a serial number that had been scratched off.

        Destroying a gun's serial number is a federal offense punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

        Chris Tardio, agent-in-charge of the ATF in Cincinnati, said authorities learned of the gun while interviewing Mr. Battaglia about the homicide.

        Lt. Byrd said the gun in the federal case was not the same one used in the homicide.

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