A man evicted from a Mount Dora home was arrested after he brought his mother to the residence the next day to remove items without the landlord’s permission.
Raymond Cecil Hiler, 46, of Apopka was charged with burglary of an unoccupied dwelling after his arrest Saturday morning at a home on East 10th Avenue. A Mount Dora police officer responded to the scene after the homeowner reported seeing Hiler and his girlfriend on the property. The homeowner told the officer the couple was evicted on Friday, according to the police report.
When the officer arrived, he saw Hiler and his mother on the property, and Hiler’s girlfriend was sitting in a parked vehicle in front of the home. As the officer approached, Hiler and his mother were still under the carport – well within the bounds of the property. In addition, the door to a secure storage room attached to the residence was open, and next to the open door was a crate filled with miscellaneous items, the report said.
Although the officer did not see Hiler or his mother inside the storage room, it was reasonable to believe they were actively removing items from it, according to the report.
Hiler initially didn’t mention to the officer that he and his girlfriend were evicted the day before. He said he was on the property to retrieve the rest of his personal items and his cats, which were locked inside by the landlord. Hiler later said he tried numerous times to contact the landlord to set a time to meet at the residence so he could retrieve the rest of his and his girlfriend’s belongings, the report said.
Hiler’s mother told the officer she was under the impression from her son and his girlfriend was that they were allowed to be on the property by the owner to gather their belongings. Her ignorance of the situation appeared genuine, leading the officer to determine he wouldn’t be able to establish criminal intent, according to the report.
The victim confirmed Hiler and his girlfriend were properly evicted Friday by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, and the pair was notified they were not to be on the property without his permission, the report said.
Hiler was taken to the Lake County Jail, where he was later released after posting $2,000 bond.
