Man who destroyed roommates apartment arrested

A 28-year-old man who ripped the drywall down, broke a window and ransacked his roommate’s apartment was arrested Thursday.

Alexander Nolan Rodriguez was charged with burglary, larceny and property damage.

The victim reported at 4:45 p.m. that Rodriguez broke into his apartment on the 100 block of Arbor Lane in Tavernier and was still inside. The victim stated he came home and saw his dog in the neighbor’s yard when it was supposed to be in his apartment. He reported he went to the door and saw it was damaged as well as a window broken. The victim stated he saw another tenant on the property, Rodriguez, in the apartment. He saw the drywall torn down and his apartment ransacked. Meanwhile, Rodriguez locked the doors and wouldn’t come out.

Deputy Christopher Kilmurray arrived on scene and used a side window to see Rodriguez and another man in the apartment’s living rom. Both Rodriguez and the other man are known to Deputy Kilmurray from previous encounters with law enforcement. Deputy Kilmurray noted a window was broken, blankets were thrown outside and a mattress was leaning against the wall and window.

Deputy Kilmurray ordered Rodriguez to open the door. The other man opened the door after Rodriguez refused. Rodriguez then showed Deputy Kilmurray to the hallway where the deputy noticed bare-framed wall due to drywall being ripped down.

Rodriguez spontaneously uttered: “That wall was not in the blueprints. I ripped it down with my bare hands.”

The victim stated he put up the drywall to separate his apartment from the rest of the house.

Deputy Kilmurray also found a refrigerator laying on the ground. The victim reported missing the following items once inside: Three iPhones®, a pair of Ray Ban® sunglasses and a JBL® speaker. He also reported that the window, hot plate, door, wall, refrigerator, blinds and screen were damaged.

Rodriguez was detained. The other man in the apartment told Deputy Kilmurray that Rodriguez has been wearing Ray Ban® sunglasses for the last few days. Another witness, a neighbor, reported seeing Rodriguez damaging the apartment.

Rodriguez admitted to ripping down the drywall and taking the Ray Bans®.

Rodriguez was taken to jail. The other man was not charged.

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