Man arrested in home break-in

Authorities believe he is the man who fled after being shot at by the home's owner.

By JOHN FRANK, Times Staff Writer
Published October 30, 2007

ADVERTISEMENT Nigel Deane Fleming faces a charge of burglary with a battery in the incident.

BROOKSVILLE - A Brooksville man who evaded an extensive manhunt after being shot at by a homeowner during a break-in has been captured, according to an arrest report released Monday.

Nigel Deane Fleming, 23, taken into custody Friday, faces a charge of burglary with a battery after he reportedly broke into a home Oct. 17 on Sunshine Grove Road, north of Hexam Road.

The incident launched a daylong search with helicopters and canine units that consumed the Royal Highlands neighborhood but stymied investigators, who scoured the rural area for hours with no results.

Authorities released few details about Fleming's arrest because the investigation is ongoing, said Donna Black, a spokeswoman for the Hernando County Sheriff's Office. She said she could not disclose how Fleming managed to elude the dragnet or discuss his whereabouts for the nine days he remained on the lam.

The incident occurred just before 11 a.m. when homeowner Mark Hartley arrived at his house to find an unfamiliar red pickup in the driveway. He grabbed a gun and went inside, where Fleming charged at him as he tried to leave.

Hartley managed to fire the gun at least once, but the bullet was filled with "rat shot," or tiny lead pellets used to kill small animals. Fleming then fled barefoot as he lost his shoes in the scuffle, according to an arrest report.

Hartley said he fired one more shot as Fleming was running away, but authorities would not comment on whether Fleming had any injuries.

The arrest report did provide at least one new detail that helped investigators link Fleming. He left his shoes, size 111/2, at the scene. He wore the same size shoe when he was arrested, reports state.

Hernando Detective Randy Williamson tracked down Fleming using tips received while investigating a number of unrelated thefts.

"It took a lot of legwork on the detective's part," Black said.

Investigators believe that at the time of the break-in, Fleming was driving a stolen car. Inside the house, investigator said they also found a gun stolen in an unrelated incident.

Fleming, who lives on Canal Drive on the north side of Brooksville, has an extensive criminal history, including a number of shoplifting, stalking, battery and drug charges. When he was arrested Friday, he was out of jail on $2,000 bail from a criminal mischief arrest July 12.

In that incident, he was charged with causing more than $1,000 worth of damage to an apartment he rented with a friend, according to court records.

John Frank can be reached at jfrank@sptimes.com or 352 754-6114.

[Last modified October 29, 2007, 20:39:31]