Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Alexei Francis Bellow, 35, and Robert Allen Cade, 36, of Ft. White, were arrested yesterday and charged with armed burglary, grand theft, grand theft of a firearm, and property damage after allegedly breaking into Bellow’s ex-boyfriend’s house and stealing multiple items, including a dog and a firearm.

A Gainesville Police Department Officer reported that the pair arrived at the victim’s home in the Apple Tree subdivision in separate cars at about 4:30 p.m. on May 2. Security camera footage reportedly shows them getting out of their vehicles and looking around the victim’s house and the neighboring house. The video reportedly shows that Bellow was wearing pink shorts and a black tank top.

A short time later, the video reportedly shows the pair moving items from the house into both vehicles; they left about an hour after they arrived.

The victim got home at about 6:20 p.m. and noticed that his driveway lights had been knocked down and the doormat was out of place. A window that faced the backyard was also reportedly broken, and his dog was missing. A 9mm pistol was stolen from his bedroom, along with $1,500 in cash. Ring cameras were missing from the interior of the house, a crock pot was missing from the kitchen, and a black leather office chair was also stolen. The victim reported that a bin from the garage had been emptied and used to carry items to the vehicles.

The responding officer reported that the suspects had used a shovel in the backyard to pry open a back door and smash a window, causing about $4,000 in damage to the victim’s house. A neighbor’s security cameras reportedly captured the entire burglary.

Bellow reportedly lived in the house in the past while she was dating the victim but has not lived there for about a year.

The officer’s investigation found that Bellow had gone to the tag office on NW 13th Street earlier in the day to attempt a transaction on the victim’s account, but the transaction was denied. An employee at the tag office who knew Bellow by name told the officer that Bellow was upset when the transaction was denied. Security video from the tag office reportedly shows Bellow wearing the same black tank top and pink shorts that the suspect in the burglary was wearing.

A neighbor of the victim reported that she came home at 5:30 p.m. and saw Bellow and Cade; she knows both of them personally, and she said Cade told her he was helping Bellow move her belongings out of the house. She said Cade called her during the time frame when he was at the victim’s house and said her fence needed some work and he was available to do it for her.

Bellow has four misdemeanor convictions (none violent). Judge Jonathan Ramsey ordered her held without bail pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s Office to hold her without bail until trial.

Cade has no criminal history. Judge Ramsey ordered him held without bail pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s Office to hold him without bail until trial.

We asked GPD whether the dog was recovered and will update this article if we get any information about that.

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.