Man staying in Airbnb arrested after being found in house across the street wearing the owner’s Nike Air Max shoes

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

Denver Emmett Cooper III, 41, was arrested yesterday and charged with burglary of an occupied dwelling, grand theft from a dwelling, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and resisting arrest without violence.

At 9:00 a.m. on April 6, Cooper allegedly entered a home on NE 9th Street through an unlocked front door. The occupants were home and in their bedroom, and when they heard the front door open and close, they quickly exited the home through the back door of their bedroom.

Cooper was reportedly found hiding in the closet of another bedroom after Gainesville Police Department K9 officers made announcements that the police were there and had a K9 with them. When he did not respond, K9 Ranger was released and quickly located Cooper. The victims said they had never seen Cooper before.

Following the arrest, the residents found a computer monitor face down in the closet where Cooper was reportedly found. A laptop on the desk was open, but the resident said it had been closed when it was last used. In a different bedroom, it looked like Cooper had rearranged several pairs of the victim’s shoes near a garbage bag, apparently preparing to put them in the bag. Cooper was reportedly wearing the victim’s Nike Air Max shoes at the time of the arrest.

Cooper was transported to the hospital where, post Miranda, he reportedly told officers that he is staying in a nearby Airbnb house and that he just made an “honest mistake” and walked into the wrong house. He reportedly said the houses look “just alike,” but the officer wrote that they looked “nothing alike.” Cooper was reportedly unable to answer a question about why he didn’t realize it was the wrong house as soon as he entered.

Cooper reportedly told officers he had taken “half a shot of Fentanol” that morning and had been “out of it.”

Cooper was staying with work associates in the Airbnb, and his boss reportedly told officers that he had seen Cooper in the Airbnb’s kitchen right before the incident and that Cooper seemed “out of it,” said he was going to the nearby Wawa, and left.

A search after arrest revealed a small baggie of methamphetamine. Cooper has seven felony convictions, all out of county, along with a pending criminal traffic case for driving without a valid license. He is being held on $185,000 bail.

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.