Felling they had pulled the biggest heist of their career, two Florida men have been charged after burglarizing local churches.
On Friday, October 14, 2022, the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) Community Crimes Detectives (CCDs) arrested two men involved in a string of burglaries that occurred at local churches and storage facilities throughout Citrus County.
The day prior, it was reported to CCSO that a burglary and grand theft had occurred at the Good Shepard Lutheran Church in Hernando, FL.
Detectives were able to review surveillance footage from the church property that showed two suspects removing various items, including three lawnmowers and a portable air compressor. The total value of items stolen was nearly $13,000.
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Further investigation by the CCDs, along with the assistance of CCSO’s Intelligence Analysis Unit, detectives were able to identify the two suspects from the surveillance video as 68-year-old Steven Rodrick and 54-year-old Henry Hudson of Homosassa.
After locating both Rodrick and Hudson, detectives conducted an interview with them regarding the crimes committed. Both suspects admitted to the theft and informed officials of where the stolen property was located.
“While investigators were at the West Mistflower Place residence in Homosassa, they found additional property which had been reported as stolen back in June of this year, from the Gulf to Lake Church in Crystal River, FL,” said CCSO.
Rodrick was charged with two counts of burglary to a structure and three counts of grand theft. Hudson was charged with one count of burglary to a structure, two counts of grand theft, as well as a violation of probation.
“A burglary can happen to anyone at any time,” Sheriff Mike Prendergast said. “I am proud of our detectives and analysts who nimbly worked together to solve and put a stop to these crimes.”
“If you have any information about stolen property or any other crime in our county, we encourage you to contact us at 352-249-2790 or by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-888-ANY-TIPS to remain anonymous,” said CCSO.
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