Stolen Cellphone Tracked to Local Park, Aiding Deputies in Apprehending Suspects
SPRING HILL, Fla. — A violent home invasion at the Hammock Ridge Apartments on September 22, 2025, has resulted in the arrests of three individuals on charges of Home Invasion Robbery with a Firearm.
The incident began when Hernando County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the apartment complex around 9:30 p.m.
The female victim reported that after cracking open her front door, three armed subjects forced their way into her apartment. She stated all three were dressed in black, two with face coverings, and all were carrying firearms.
One unmasked suspect allegedly threatened her with a weapon before she was tased and forced into the master bedroom. The suspects then fled the scene in a gray vehicle, taking the victim’s cellphone and a computer.
Quick Tracking and Detainment
A crucial breakthrough came when a secondary victim, who encountered the suspects fleeing and was reportedly threatened with a firearm, identified one of the assailants as an individual he knew by the nickname “D,” with whom he had a recent altercation.
Utilizing investigative techniques, deputies tracked the stolen cellphone to the parking lot of Delta Woods Park in Spring Hill. Upon arrival, deputies located a gray vehicle matching the description, occupied by two individuals. In plain view, deputies observed multiple firearms and a cellphone inside the vehicle.
The occupants were detained without incident and identified as brothers, Daniel Alexis Balbuena-Ortiz and Nathanael Balbuena-Ortiz. The victim positively identified Nathanael Balbuena-Ortiz as one of the intruders.
Confessions and Additional Charges
Both individuals were transported to the Sheriff’s Office, where they allegedly confessed to committing the home invasion and theft. Daniel Alexis Balbuena-Ortiz also confirmed he goes by the nickname “D.”
A subsequent search warrant executed on the suspect’s vehicle yielded significant evidence, including multiple firearms, narcotics, stolen property, and personal items belonging to the victims.
Both brothers were arrested and transported to the Hernando County Detention Center on a single count of Home Invasion Robbery with a Firearm. Both were held on a NO BOND status initially, with a $100,000 bond set at first appearance.
Third Suspect Apprehended
The investigation quickly moved to locate the third suspect, identified as Santo Domingo Vasquez-Mendoza.
With the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Task Force and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, Vasquez-Mendoza was successfully located and taken into custody on Monday, at a construction work site in Pasco County. He is currently being held in Pasco County awaiting extradition to Hernando County to face the same charge of Home Invasion Robbery with a Firearm on a no-bond status.
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