Leesburg man jailed after asking homeowner for help and then stealing from him

A Leesburg man was arrested for battery and grand theft after punching and robbing a man who offered him a glass of water.

A deputy responded to a possible burglary at 16985 SE 248th Terrace in Umatilla on Wednesday, according to an arrest report from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. 

Upon arrival, the deputy met with the male victim who described a man, later identified as 38-year-old Bruce Hudson, walking in front of his residence around 7 p.m. the day before. Hudson was unknown to him, but he stated he appeared to be 30 years old, around the same height as himself and possibly a drug addict, the report said. 

Hudson asked the victim if he could have something to drink because he was thirsty. The victim subsequently invited him into his residence to get him some water. Once inside, Hudson asked for beer instead of water, so he went back into the kitchen to get him one, the report said. 

However, Hudson walked into the victim’s bedroom and began rifling through his dresser drawers, closet and other miscellaneous bags. The victim went into the bedroom and told him to stop going through his belongings, to which Hudson punched him in the nose, the report said. 

The victim then ran out the back door of his residence and began yelling for his neighbors to help him. He heard loud banging coming inside and went back in to see what Hudson was doing. He had used a large mallet-style hammer to put a hole in the wall between the kitchen and living room, and he had shattered a glass end table with several porcelain figurines, the report said. 

When the victim confronted Hudson, he threatened him with the hammer, causing the victim to fear he would be struck in the chest. Hudson left through the back door a few moments later. He took with him a bag and several other items stolen from his bedroom. The last time the victim saw Hudson, he was walking eastbound on a dirt path headed onto Southeast 249th Avenue, the report said. 

The damage to the wall was valued at $600, and the damage to the glass table and figurines was valued at $450 for a total of $1,050 in damages, the report said. The items stolen from the residence were his $400 immigration papers and passport, a $140 DIALN laptop, a $140 Apple iPad, three black $350 Casio wristwatches, and a $1,200 gold ring for a total of $2,230 in stolen items. 

The deputy observed a cut to the victim’s nose, which was consistent with the battery he described. He also saw a hole in the wall and a shattered glass end table with shattered porcelain figurines. Additionally, a black bag with scattered clothing was found in the front yard of the victim’s residence, the report said. 

The next day, MCSO received a call for service at 17195 SE 249th Avenue regarding a follow-up on the incident. The female caller advised she was a friend of the victim and was aware of what happened. She stated that Hudson arrived at her residence with the victim’s stolen items just after 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, the report said. 

Another deputy responded to the address and spoke with Hudson. He confirmed that he was at the victim’s residence on Tuesday after he let him inside to get some water, the report said. 

However, Hudson claimed that as the victim was sitting in his bedroom, he approached him from behind, placed a strap around his neck and began choking him for no reason. He flipped the victim over his back and onto the floor which was when the victim struck him with the mallet-style hammer on the leg, the report said. 

Hudson alleged that he took the hammer away from the victim and threw it, after which everything calmed down. The victim told Hudson he could take his laptop for attacking him for no reason. Hudson then claimed to have taken the laptop but left it at the victim’s fence. He denied taking anything from the victim’s residence and the allegations, the report said. 

The deputy then spoke separately with two other residents at the home. Both advised that Hudson arrived at the residence carrying a bag just after 7:00 p.m. Tuesday. They both saw a laptop, iPad, several credit cards and a passport with identification documents belonging to the victim all inside the bag, the report said. 

The female resident stated that she confronted Hudson about these items and how the victim was friends with the woman who called for the follow-up, after which he left the residence with the items. She took photos of the items before he left, and she gave them to law enforcement. The deputy observed several passport and identification documents, four debit cards and an insurance card belonging to the victim, the report said. 

The report noted that the woman who called for the follow-up was able to retrieve the victim’s stolen laptop and return it to him. 

The deputy contacted Hudson again to speak about this new information which was when he gave a different statement. He stated that he was sitting on the couch next to the victim who pulled his own pants down and touched Hudson’s shoulder. He claimed to have stood up and punched the victim in the nose in response, the report said. 

At that point, the victim ran outside to his back yard, and Hudson followed him to apologize. He advised that his friend Frankie must have entered the residence while they were in the backyard, stole the victim’s items and took them to the victim’s friend’s residence to leave them by the fence, the report said. 

Hudson further advised that after leaving the victim’s residence, he walked to Southeast 249th Avenue and met Frankie. This alleged person told Hudson there was a bag of items at the fence that he needed to take inside. He stated that was why he was seen with the bag of the victim’s stolen items, and he was being set up, the report said. 

The deputy determined that even though the victim invited Hudson into the residence to give him a glass of water, he did not give him permission to enter other parts of the home. Once he was asked to leave, he withdrew consent for Hudson to be inside, the report said. 

As such, Hudson was arrested on charges of burglary with assault or battery, damage property (criminal mischief – $1,000 or more), assault with intent to commit a felony and grand theft (greater than $750 less than $5,000). He was transported to the Marion County Jail with bond set at $40,000.