Suspect in violent burglary identified after he returns to apologize, Florida cops say

A violent home burglary investigation took an unexpected turn when the suspect returned and apologized to an “elderly homeowner” for taking his medicinal marijuana, according to investigators in Florida.

The suspect turned out to be a former lawn maintenance worker for the victim — and a current neighbor, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office reported in an affidavit.

Roodphild Briteus, 24, is accused of breaking into the home in Stuart around 10:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 3, the sheriff’s office said in a Dec. 2 Facebook post.

“The elderly homeowner was awakened by sounds coming from his living room. When he went to investigate, he came face to face with Briteus, who then attacked the victim and threw him to the ground,” the sheriff’s said. “The assault was captured by the victim’s security cameras.”

The homeowner was armed with a pellet gun, and reports he shot the suspect at least once in the seconds before the attack. He then threw the gun at the intruder, the affidavit says.

Details of any injuries suffered by the homeowner were not released, but he did not intervene again as the suspect continued “rummaging” through the home, officials said. The intruder fled with $350 in cash and 10.5 grams of raw cannabis, the sheriff’s office said.

A break in the investigation came Nov. 27, when the victim revealed Briteus had came to the home to “apologize for stealing cannabis,” the affidavit states.

Briteus was arrested the same day and charged with “burglary with a battery, battery on a person aged 65 years or older, and grand theft of a controlled substance,” the sheriff’s office said. Bond was set at $300,000.

This story was originally published December 5, 2024 at 9:27 AM with the headline "Suspect in violent burglary identified after he returns to apologize, Florida cops say."