He crashed out.
A St. Johns County man who said he was just “looking for a place to sleep” after breaking into a $10 million Ponte Vedra Boulevard mansion last year has been found guilty of burglary and other offenses, officials announced Wednesday in a press release.
St. Johns County deputies responded to a house alarm along the gilded oceanfront stretch around 10:30 p.m. in January of 2024 and found a side door ajar.
Once inside the 10,000 square foot residence, they heard a noise and discovered the intruder tucked between a bedroom and office doorframe, according to an arrest report.
Thomas Patterson, 32, spontaneously told officers, “I’m homeless and was looking for a place to sleep,” and alerted them to a pocketknife on his person.
The homeowner, who was out of town and contacted by phone, confirmed the property was his vacation home and that the man did not have permission to be there.
Deputies also found signs of forced entry: a broken patio door handle lying on the ground, and multiple drawers in the master bathroom and office that appeared to have been rummaged through.
The officers eventually found a gun, a hammock and a sleeping bag belonging to Patterson, along with items of the owner, including an iPad, papers state.
Investigators charged the defendant, a convicted felon from North Carolina, with several raps and took him into custody.
“After a two-day trial, a St. Johns County jury found defendant Thomas Patterson guilty as charged of Burglary while Armed with a Firearm, Grand Theft, Criminal Mischief, Petit Theft and Possession of Firearm
by Convicted Felon,” the State Attorney said Wednesday.
He will be sentenced at a later date.
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