Home Invasion Subject Detained With an Axe by a Pinellas Park Resident
On Wednesday, August 30, 2017 at approximately 9:00 am, Pinellas Park Police patrol units responded to a call of a home invasion in progress.
Upon arrival officers found the suspect, 17 year old Matthew A. Cleveland of St Petersburg, being detained by the male home owner Alexander McMaster who was using a full length axe to keep Cleveland from leaving the inside of his residence.
During the investigation it was determined that Cleveland earlier in the morning had left Richard L. Sanders school where he is in twelve grade and began wandering the neighborhood where the incident took place.
Prior to this incident, a neighbor to the victims yelled to Cleveland to leave her property as he was seen near her open garage door. Cleveland then made his way to 6661 80th Avenue and knocked on the front door.
33 year-old Christina Robles answered the door at which time Cleveland asked about the location of a park in Largo. When Robles told him she did not know where the park was she tried to close the door and that is when Cleveland forced open the door and grabbed Robles by the throat and began choking her, and slamming her headninto the wall. Cleveland then began punching Robles about the head and body as she screamed for her boyfriend 40 year-old Alexander McMaster who was asleep upstairs at the time.
Hearing the screaming, McMaster came down the stairs and saw Cleveland battering Robles. McMaster ran towards Cleveland and began to physically struggle with him in an effort to get Cleveland away from Robles.
McMaster then grabbed a nearby axe that was being used to prop open a window and he held the axe to keep Cleveland from getting out of the house.
Officers arrived on scene and took Cleveland into custody without further incident. When questioned about the incident Cleveland offered no statement.
Cleveland was arrested and charged with One count of Home Invasion Robbery, one count of felony battery (strangulation), and two counts of simple battery.
Robles suffered minor injuries as a result of the attack.