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.

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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.