MARION COUNTY, Fla. – A Florida man went on a crime spree that involved him breaking into three homes and stealing two vehicles before he was caught yelling in someone’s yard, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said the first call about Christopher Pennington, 47, came early Wednesday morning from a 73-year-old man who said he was sleeping when he heard some noise and woke up to find Pennington rummaging through his closet.
Pennington pushed the victim to the ground as he went to confront him then continued rummaging through the house until he stole the victim’s truck and fled the scene, records show.
Deputies said the victim had to ride his bike for a mile carrying his oxygen tank until he reached the nearest gas station in order to call 911. Several electronics and a gun were stolen from him, according to authorities.
Pennington is then accused of driving the victim’s truck to a wooded area so he could burglarize two more residences.
Deputies said one of those victims caught him in the act because her fridge alarm started going off and it woke her up. She got out of bed and went to the kitchen expecting to see her son but instead saw Pennington eating her food, records show.
At that point, deputies said Pennington stole a truck that belongs to the victim’s son and fled the home.
A third victim also reported that her apartment had been burglarized and several items were stolen, authorities said.
Deputies said they located Pennington after they received complaints about a man yelling in a yard. The victims were able to identify him as the man they saw in their homes, records show.
Pennington is facing charges of burglary with a battery, four counts of armed burglary, two counts of unarmed burglary, two counts of grand theft of a motor vehicle, three counts of grand theft and two counts of petit theft.
