Man arrested for armed burglary of occupied apartment
Staff report
Update on September 17, 2024: All charges in this case were later dropped.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Patrick James Ruda, 37, was arrested Saturday night after allegedly entering the apartment of an ex-girlfriend while armed with a gun and ripping up a sofa and loveseat.
A Gainesville Police Department officer responded to the apartment at Towne Parc Apartments at about 8:40 p.m. on Saturday, where the victim said she was with a friend on the second floor of her apartment when Ruda, a former boyfriend, called her and asked if she was home. She told the officer that she lied and said she was not home because she knows that Ruda carries a gun in his pocket and has pulled it out during an argument in the past.
A short time later, the victim said, she heard noises downstairs; the door was unlocked but had a chain latch. She said she watched from the top of the stairs as Ruda reached inside and removed the chain latch, then ripped her sofa and loveseat in multiple places before leaving. She said she couldn’t tell what he used to rip the furniture, but she estimated the damage at about $1,900.
The officer reportedly found Ruda sitting in front of the Phoenix Super Food Store nearby, and Ruda was arrested. A search incident to arrest reportedly produced a firearm in his pocket.
Post Miranda, Ruda reportedly said he had intended to go to the victim’s apartment to pick up a package, but he never made it there; he said he had just arrived at the store. He later reportedly said he’d arrived at the store around 8:30 p.m., but surveillance video reportedly showed him walking into the store at 9:21 p.m.
Ruda has no criminal convictions but was arrested in 2021 for domestic battery and battery by strangulation; the charges were later dropped. Prosecutors asked Judge Lorelie Brannan to hold him without bond due to the nature of the crime, and she ordered him held without bond.
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.
Destroy your life and give up your freedom in lieu of prison all over a ex-girlfriend. The only thing accomplished was ruining your life. Gotta be proud, you beat up a sofa.
This incident is themed in domestic violence and oppression. I am actively involved in police & government accountability. Auditing/copwatching is science testing a hypothesis with repeatable results but a phenomena occurs we record that nonconformance for posterity.
I responded to this incident this what GPD acts like. I don’t edit, this is GPD 2052 hours Saturday 09 March 2024
https://youtu.be/dadgA6B796k?si=kxFBe4rC3LcYlmy5
You people make me want to puke. If you think the cops are all doing it wrong how about YOU put on a uniform and try it out for yourself. Think about staying in your own lane Karen.
You were riding a puss electric bike that from a distance and in the rain maybe looked similar to a scooter or motel. You are also wearing clothing that was similar and then you act like a dumb— calling an officer Gomer which you did to intentionally to get a reaction and then telling an officer that he is hamburger if he touches you. You circled around the officers car and sought him out for what? It seems like you are more of a STALKER or a WANNABE than anything else. If you are such a great investigative reporter I would think you would gave a better job working for a network then living in a dump that appears in you film. I dont really know what you were trying to prove except how to interfere and possibly get yourself accidently hurt for sticking your nose in something that is none of your business. Stay in your lane KEVIN. It seems like you are experienced as a domestic violence offender since you are calling it oppression.
Good thing the judge was smart and he’s in there without bond. Good thing she lied and said she was not home. I think if he knew she was home or saw her when he was there, that he would have killed her or them
Hopefully she gets the support she needs to carry through on the charges and save his next would-be girlfriends from violence.
Phoenix Super Food Store was before.
Then it became city police substation.
It once worked before g’ville woke up.
Finally, a judge is reading our comments section.
The perps should be held until the jail is so crowded they beg to leave Florida when out later.
We need a tent-city jail ala Joe Arpaio. Pink uniforms and daily work in agriculture.