Ocala man arrested for stealing firearms and other items from Mentone home while residents were out of town
Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Richard Carter Hudgens, Jr., 38, of Ocala, was arrested on Friday for allegedly breaking into a Mentone home while the residents were out of town and stealing eight guns, a TV, a pressure washer, kitchen knives, and ammunition.
An Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy responded to the home on November 4 after the residents returned home from a one-week trip and found that their home had been burglarized. Cameras inside the house reportedly showed Hudgens entering their home at about 9:40 p.m. on November 3; he was allegedly armed with what appeared to be a handgun with a silencer and used the gun’s tactical light to clear the residence as he walked from room to room as if looking for someone. The cameras reportedly showed that Hudgens pointed the gun into each room before entering it. The residents reported that there were cars in the driveway and they would normally have been home at the time of the burglary.
The victims reported that eight guns valued at $2,690, a TV and speaker equipment valued at $2,600, a pressure washer valued at $600, kitchen knives valued at $190, ammunition valued at $400, and a Vortex scope valued at $400 were missing. A window was also broken, with estimated damage at $300.
The victims told the deputy that they had known Hudgens for years but stopped communicating with him two years ago.
Hudgens has been charged with armed burglary of a dwelling, grand theft over $5,000, property damage over $200, and displaying a firearm during the commission of a felony. He has no criminal history, and Judge Robert Groeb set bail at $415,000.
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.
Thank you, Judge Groeb. Are you new here, substituting for our regular but useless judges?
Jeff, Judge Groeb has been here for years. He’s stern but fair.
I believe Judge is from Union County.
Wow, how can their be such a variance of bond amounts? Thieving is bad but is rape , shooting and carjacking not much more violent and traumatic? We need a chart for each Judge.
“Loose lips sink ships”–don’t advertise your vacations, upcoming concerts, etc. on social media.
This guy knew the victims, knew they had firearms, and knew that they would be out. He swept the building on the off chance that there was a change of plans so that he wouldn’t get ventilated. He probably got word of their trip on Facebook, etc.
Unnerving part about it what if the homeowners were home. He entered ready for a armed confrontation and a apparent silenced weapon. I wonder what this POS background is?
Silencers currently require a license. Did he have one? Sounds like another charge should be pending.
I don’t think this is accurate.
You need the appropriate paperwork. I used to work in that business.
We all know the ropes for buying handguns and long guns, right? But, while things like silencers, short-barreled rifles, full-auto’s, certain explosives etc. ARE all theoretically obtainable, they’re highly regulated thus requiring a lot more paperwork, time, effort, and $$$ on behalf of the consumer.
I’ve never heard of a ‘silencer license’ but if you’re carrying a thing like that around with you outside your property, you’d better have some sort of documentation backing up that it’s [legally] yours.
I think you have to have the famous ATF Tax Stamp but I’m not 100% sure. I never had one and prefer the person knows I’m shooting.
About a year for the $200 ATF paperwork to get a LEGAL suppressor. They are not a “silencer” Cheap “oil filter” suppressors easily available on the web, but they are not as effective. Big Federal Crime to have one without the paperwork
Home owners need to get a gun safe. Completely irresponsible gun owners.
The guns should have been secured. No excuse for eight guns to be loose in an unoccupied house. How did Hudgens not know about the surveillance system when he was aware of gun and ammo locations?
Dude. Burglary is against the law.
My home is my castle. Mind your own biz.
I’m with you on that. “He who sacrifices liberty for a little bit of safety gets neither”.
Thank you, Judge for setting a good/fair bail. One rational judge in this circuit.
Daytime Aflac agent moonlights as a hitman.