A Florida man received a life sentence in a burglary case.
Mitchel Andrew Searle, 37, was convicted of burglary with battery, two counts of burglary of a dwelling, burglary of a structure, and three charges of criminal mischief. Judge Peter Brigham sentenced Searle to life in prison, with two concurrent fifteen-year terms and a five-year concurrent sentence.
On the night of December 11, 2024, Corporal Harrington of the Belleview Police Department responded to a burglary in progress at Shepherd’s Lighthouse, which housed several victims. When Cpl. Harrington arrived at the establishment, he observed the front door was open, but before he could check more, he heard screams from across the street at a residence.
Upon approaching the residence, Cpl. Harrington discovered that someone had kicked in the front door. The individual, later identified as a victim, reported that while they were inside with their husband and baby kid, the front entrance to their home was kicked in. The victim alleged that they armed themselves with a weapon and pointed it at the culprit as he approached the threshold of the door.
While conversing with the victims, Cpl. Harrington discovered that the suspect had also kicked down the front door of the next-door neighbor’s house, forcing another victim to flee out the back door to safety. The suspect in all three cases was described as a Caucasian male wearing a black hoodie.
Responding Marion County Sheriff’s Deputy Michaelides was monitoring the area when he noticed a subject who matched the suspect’s description rushing towards a local McDonald’s. As the deputy attempted to apprehend the suspect, later identified as Searle, the defendant dashed up to an occupied vehicle in the drive-through. He opened the passenger door, where a victim was sitting, and hit her with his elbow. Searle was taken into jail.
Searle was recognized as the burglar after studying security footage from Shepherd’s Lighthouse and speaking with eyewitnesses.
Assistant State Attorney James Moody successfully prosecuted this case.
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