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‘Horned’ suspect accused of trying to break into Florida apartments: MCSO

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Published  April 2, 2025 11:04am EDT
Florida
FOX 13 News

The Brief

    • A man with horns tattooed on his face has been arrested for attempted burglary.
    • Deputies say an alert homeowner spotted the suspect and called the sheriff’s office.
    • Jonathan Richards was charged with two counts of attempted occupied burglary, possession of burglary tools, resisting arrest without violence, and a sex offender registration violation.

JENSEN BEACH, Fla. - It’s often easy to spot animals that have tattoos on their heads, but a man with horns tattooed on his face was easily identified by Florida deputies who accused him of attempted burglary. 

What we know:

According to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, an alert homeowner called to report a suspicious man going door to door at an apartment complex on N. East Ocean Blvd. in Jensen Beach.

The suspect was described as a white male with horns tattooed on his face, carrying large bags.

READ: Gulf View Windows and Doors owner accused of misappropriating funds gambled away $200K: BPD

Deputies said excellent exterior camera footage provided a clear image of the man.

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Courtesy: Martin County Sheriff's Office

After a brief search, MCSO said its helicopter, road patrol and K-9 units located and arrested Jonathan Richards, 46, walking in that vicinity.

Richards told deputies that he is a transient from Alabama. 

READ: Florida man searched ‘dent in baby forehead’ a day before taking critically injured infant to hospital: CCSO

Deputies say Richards has an extensive and violent criminal history and has been arrested multiple times in other states for crimes including carjacking, burglary, drug possession, battery with seriously bodily harm and more. He is also a sex offender, according to MCSO.

He was charged with two counts of attempted occupied burglary, possession of burglary tools, resisting arrest without violence, and a sex offender registration violation.

What's next:

Deputies say although two large bags, which may have contained stolen property, were reported during the incident, they have not yet been recovered.

What we don't know:

It is unclear how Richards ended up in Martin County or how long he has been there. 

What they're saying:

In a post on social media, MCSO stated, "We commend the residents who made the 911 calls promptly, which allowed our deputies to track, locate, and arrest Richards quickly. Also, nice work on K-9 Groll’s role on tracking Richards before he gained access to any other occupied homes."

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The Source: This story was written with information posted by the Martin County Sheriff's Office. 

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