Homeless man arrested for burglarizing apartment complex office, taking key fob, and attempting to enter multiple apartments

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Mathew Lawrence Fuertes, 33, was arrested last night and charged with burglary, attempted burglary, and prowling after allegedly following a resident into Hub on Campus, going through papers in the complex’s office, and using a key fob to access areas throughout the complex, including trying to enter at least two apartments.

At about 8:20 p.m. on September 10, Fuertes allegedly entered Hub on Campus (1258 NW 3rd Avenue) by following a resident through the door. Once inside, he allegedly entered an office, where he rummaged through drawers, opened mail, and went through binders containing residents’ information. He reportedly found a key fob in the office that provided access to the entire building and allegedly used it 67 times in about 20-25 minutes while trying to get into apartments.

He reportedly knocked on the door of one apartment, and when the two occupants answered the door, he allegedly attempted to push his way in, and they reportedly fought him off.

One resident reported that Fuertes got on an elevator with her and followed her around her floor for several minutes, apparently trying to see which apartment was hers. She said she was so scared that she got back on the elevator without going to her apartment.

The responding Gainesville Police Department officer reported that the entire incident was captured on surveillance video and that Fuertes was found in the office.

Post Miranda, Fuertes reportedly said he was an employee of the complex and was working, but he could not provide the officer with his boss’s name or phone number, and the officer charged him with loitering/prowling because he believed Fuertes entered the building with the intention of committing a crime.

Fuertes reportedly admitted after some time that he had followed a resident into the building and went to the office, where he found a key fob and used it to access various areas of the building. He reportedly denied that he had attempted to enter any apartments and said he was “dropping off a mail key under the door.”

A search incident to arrest reportedly produced a key fob to the building, a bedroom key, and a mailbox key. Video surveillance reportedly shows Fuertes trying to open several mailboxes in the lobby, possibly damaging one of them.

Fuertes has been described as homeless in court documents since his first area arrest in January 2023. This is his fifth arrest since that date, and he has six local misdemeanor convictions. He also has two pending misdemeanor cases in Leon County. A trespassing charge from his most recent arrest was dropped on September 5 following a psychological evaluation. Judge Susan Miller-Jones ordered him held without bail pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s Office to hold him without bail until trial.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.