(September 24, 2024) — On September 9, 2024, at around 9:20 PM, officers with the Cape Coral Police Department were asked by Florida Highway Patrol to check a home on SE 36th Ter, Cape Coral, Florida.
An FHP Trooper was with an abandoned, broken down silver Chrysler 200 on the Midpoint Bridge. The registered owner of the vehicle told the Trooper the car should’ve been at their home on SE 36th Ter in Cape Coral. The Trooper requested Cape Coral Police officers check the location to see if there were signs of forced entry into the home.
Contact was made with the homeowner via telephone due to them being outside city limits. They said the car should be in their garage. Officers looked through the windows of the garage and saw there was no Chrysler 200 inside. Officers walked around the home and noticed hurricane shutters on all of the windows except for one, which appeared to be forced completely open. There was a screwdriver near the window that appeared to be used to take the shutter down.
With the homeowner’s consent, officers went into the home to do a safety sweep. Nobody was found inside, but the home appeared to be ransacked. Several items, including a TV, soundbar and tablet.
A detective with the Property Crimes Unit arrived on scene to continue the investigation. The Property Crimes Unit had been called to this same area a few days earlier after a white male burglarized cars and peoples’ lanais. Detectives found many miscellaneous item inside the stolen vehicle, including a TV and soundbar. The victim confirmed those items belonged to their family and were taken from the home.
The Forensics Unit checked areas of the home and vehicle for suspect fingerprints. Those prints led to the identification of Robert Edward Kennedy (DOB 05/09/1979) as the suspect. The homeowner said they didn’t know Kennedy and he had no reason to be in the home.
Over the course of the follow-up investigation, detectives learned Kennedy was in custody at the Lee County Jail on unrelated charges.
On September 24, 2024 at around 8:00 AM, Robert Edward Kennedy (DOB 05/09/1979) was charged with the following:
–1 count in violation of F.S.S. 810.02(3)(b) – Burglary of Unoccupied Dwelling
–1 count in violation of F.S.S. 812.014(2)(c)(1) – Grand Theft $750 Or More But Less Than $5,000
–1 count in violation of F.S.S. 812.014(2)(c)(6) – Grand Theft Motor Vehicle
–1 count in violation of F.S.S. 806.13(1)(b)(2) – Criminal Mischief Over $200 Under $1,000
Arrested: Robert Edward Kennedy (DOB 05/09/1979)