Man accused of breaking into Cape Coral home, stealing car

A man has been arrested after allegedly breaking into a Cape Coral home and stealing multiple items, including a car.

According to the Cape Coral Police Department, on Sept. 9, at around 9:20 p.m., officers were asked by the Florida Highway Patrol to check a home on Southeast 36th Terrace for a missing car.

A trooper found the abandoned, broken-down silver Chrysler 200 on the Midpoint Bridge. The trooper requested officers to check the home the car was registered under to see if there were signs of forced entry.

The registered owner of a silver Chrysler 200 had told the trooper the car should have been at their home.

Officers looked through the garage windows and saw no Chrysler 200 inside. Officers walked around the home and noticed hurricane shutters on all of the windows except for one appeared to be forced completely open.

There was also a screwdriver reportedly near the window that appeared to have been used to take the shutter down.

Nobody was found inside, but the home looked ransacked. Several items, including a TV, soundbar and tablet were taken.

The CCPD’s Property Crimes Unit had been called to this same area a few days earlier after a man burglarized cars and residents’ lanais.

Detectives found several items inside the stolen vehicle, including a TV and soundbar.

The Forensics Unit checked areas of the home and vehicle for suspect fingerprints, leading to the arrest of 44-year-old Robert Edward Kennedy.

The homeowner said they didn’t know Kennedy and he had no reason to be in the home.

Detectives also discovered that Kennedy was in custody at the Lee County Jail on unrelated charges.

Kennedy is being charged with burglary of an unoccupied dwelling, grand theft of $750 or more but less than $5,000, grand theft of a motor vehicle, and criminal mischief of over $200 and under $1,000.