Burglar High On Drugs Held At Gunpoint By Resident, ECSO Reports

August 20, 2020

An alleged burglar  high on methamphetamine and spice was held at gunpoint until deputies arrived after he walked into a Cottage Hill home.

Matthew Arrington Haveard, age 35 of Cantonment, was charged with felony burglary of an occupied dwelling. He was released from the Escambia County Jail Wednesday on a $5,000 bond.

A resident of Wishbone Road told the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office that he was at home on his computer just after 9 p.m. Monday when he noticed Haveard inside the home. Haveard immediately raised his hands when confronted, and the resident grabbed his handgun before leading Haveard back outside.

The man and his grandmother, the owner of the home, were both inside the residence at the time, and both told deputies they had never seen Haveard before, according to an arrest report.

The Sheriff’s Office said home security video shows Haveard arrive in a Chevrolet pickup truck, walk through an open garage door and enter the residence through a side door.

Haveard told an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputy that he had smoked spice and methamphetamine a couple of hours prior to the incident and did not know where he was, according to the report.

Comments

18 Responses to “Burglar High On Drugs Held At Gunpoint By Resident, ECSO Reports”

  1. David Huie Green on August 22nd, 2020 9:51 pm

    REGARDING:
    “It does state he put his hands up immediately, so he knew he was wrong.”

    More like he knew he might well be killed if he didn’t cooperate. Possibly not as doped up as he implied.

    Regardless, it’s a good day whenever you don’t need to kill someone.

    (Many don’t count their blessings.)

  2. DK on August 21st, 2020 5:37 am

    @Rich You may want to move to Portland you would fit right in with all the nonsense your talking.

  3. Bigblock345 on August 20th, 2020 8:47 pm

    The 2019 Florida Statutes
    776.013 HOME PROTECTION; use or threatened use of deadly force; presumption of fear of death or great bodily harm.—
    (1) A person who is in a dwelling or residence in which the person has a right to be has no duty to retreat and has the right to stand his or her ground and use or threaten to use:
    (b) Deadly force if he or she reasonably believes that using or threatening to use such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the imminent commission of a forcible felony.
    (2) A person is presumed to have held a reasonable fear of imminent peril of death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another when using or threatening to use defensive force that is intended or likely to cause death or great bodily harm to another if:
    (a) The person against whom the defensive force was used or threatened was in the process of unlawfully and forcefully entering, or had unlawfully and forcibly entered, a dwelling, residence, or occupied vehicle, or if that person had removed or was attempting to remove another against that person’s will from the dwelling, residence, or occupied vehicle; and
    (b) The person who uses or threatens to use defensive force knew or had reason to believe that an unlawful and forcible entry or unlawful and forcible act was occurring or had occurred.
    Seems clear to me and in black and white.

  4. JTV on August 20th, 2020 3:31 pm

    @ Rich, you need to read the Florida Castle Doctrine. Please do before you get killed by one of these animals breaking into your home.

  5. Debbie Bradley on August 20th, 2020 1:18 pm

    I am so thankful Gson was there to protect my dear friend. The Good Lord was watching over them

  6. Rich on August 20th, 2020 1:17 pm

    Some of you should take a class and get informed. “Shoot em dead” “I would have blasted him.” You’d then be in jail. Robbery and breaking and entering are not applicable in Florida as justification to shoot someone. You must show the intent of bodily harm. But by all means, spend your life in prison.

  7. Former Res on August 20th, 2020 12:58 pm

    Want to know just how bad it is, watch the building to the left of Advanced Auto parts @ hwy 97 & Roberts rd. Your friendly neighborhood Methadone clinic…. loaded parking lot every morning. These are the ones trying to get some help.

  8. Smooth on August 20th, 2020 12:46 pm

    I hope this young man gets some help for his drug problem. He obviously was not using his brain. The article doesn’t say if he had priors or any record. It does state he put his hands up immediately, so he knew he was wrong. Anyhow, glad he didn’t get his head blown off and has the chance to right his wrong.
    He maid bail, so someone(not likely a methhead) posted the 500 for him.

  9. JustAnotherPerson on August 20th, 2020 11:09 am

    That neighborhood has gotten so bad. I moved me and my kids out of there because of all the drug use in the area.

  10. WMcC on August 20th, 2020 11:08 am

    We have the right to protect our homes against invaders. PERIOD.

    If the burglar would have gotten shot, then the homeowner would have had to justify the hell out of it and faced criminal charges. I am so glad it ended with no one shot. Maybe this was just some stupid druggie who will now get help because of this experience.

    Your politics do not matter (JAY!!!!) Why is everything politic these days?

  11. Joe on August 20th, 2020 11:06 am

    I also believe that the $5000 bond was low for the crime of “Burglary Of An Occupied Residence”. As a “retired deputy “ please allow me to explain why his bond was set at only $5000.
    There is a guideline set up by the Florida State Rules Of Criminal Procedure that defines what the “Maximum Bond” can be set by the “Arresting Officer” for each “criminal level of the crime being charged.”
    Burglary Of An Occupied Dwelling is a 3rd degree felony. Per the guidelines set by the State Legislation is $5000..
    When this criminal goes before the judge for his “First Appearance Hearing” the State Attorney can request a higher bond based upon his criminal record or specifics of the incident that occurred.
    I have on many occasions been upset because I have limited with the low bonds I had to give because I knew the facts and circumstances of the incident that I had arrested a POS for.
    It’s not always the Deputy or Officer’s fault when you see a low bond amount given.

  12. Robert Lewis on August 20th, 2020 10:36 am

    I know a lot of houses in Cottage Hill, he would’ve left in a bag.

  13. fisherman on August 20th, 2020 9:45 am

    @straight shooter
    Agree!!! Wonder where he got the $500.00 to bail out. I know it said $5000.00 .10% of $5000.00 is $500.00. Now everyone needs to make sure all doors are locked all the time.

  14. Jay on August 20th, 2020 9:27 am

    I live in Cantonment, and based on the way people drive and behave, I would expect that at least half of the residents are high on meth and spice most of the time. Sad to see so many pathetic junkies that don’t work or contribute one bit of anything to the community, yet somehow they still identify as proud Conservatives…… go figure that one out!

  15. Eric on August 20th, 2020 8:43 am

    Next time, this druggie may decide to kill a homeowner because he knows he’ll go back to jail for a long time. I’m sorry, but I would have dropped him right there. May sound harsh, but what would have happened if the guy fought back? Rushed the homeowner? It could have turned out differently. If I have to make a decision between a druggie/thug/criminal and me or my family – you don’t have to guess whose leaving in a body bag.

  16. JTV on August 20th, 2020 7:59 am

    Just a reminder, Dead burglars don’t get bond.

  17. StraightShooter on August 20th, 2020 7:14 am

    Sad the homeowners will have to go thru this trauma of someone coming into their home. He gets out on 5k bond, homeowner has to worry is he coming back. Good time to use stand your ground and get rid of this thug.

  18. sam on August 20th, 2020 7:06 am

    and he is released to repeat his dope taking, home invasion activities.next time some poor soul may get hurt. our justice system stinks.