According to court filings, a Palm Bay, Florida Homeowners Association board member was arrested last month for reportedly pulling a gun on three children fishing at a lake in his subdivision, stealing their equipment, and dumping the rods, reels, and tackle into the woods.
Kyle Patrick Tate, 57, was charged with criminal mischief and grand theft following the incident.
According to a court document filed in Brevard County, Florida, on April 14, officers from the Palm Bay Police Department were alerted to a suspicious event in Stillwater Lakes, a HOA-owned and managed property.
The responding officers met with three children who were fishing on the south side of the lake in Stillwater Lakes. They said a guy, later identified as Tate, approached them with a handgun and told them to leave his property.
However, the land belonged to the HOA, not Tate, according to authorities.
Tate did, however, steal their fishing rods, reels, tackle boxes, and other equipment before hurling them into the woods and ruining them.
The children told police that the fishing rods and reels were worth $1,900, the tackle boxes and lures inside were worth $150, and the cast nets were worth $150 each.
Tate also allegedly stole a phone worth approximately $1,500 from one of the children, which has yet to be recovered, according to court filings.
After learning about the circumstances, officers arrested Tate on April 14 and lodged him into the Brevard County Jail.
He is now facing allegations of grand theft of items worth $750 to $7,500 and criminal mischief larger than $1,000. Both counts are considered third-degree felonies in Florida.
Tate was jailed on a $5,000 bond ($2,500 per charge), which he eventually posted.