Police in Melbourne responded to a report of an occupied burglary in progress at 2385 Woodwind Trail on Friday night. 

The suspect, identified as Jesus Manuel Acevedo-Rodriguez, attempted to forcibly enter an apartment which was occupied by his ex-girlfriend, who we are not naming.  At Approximately 10:30pm on June 21, officers learned Acevedo-Rodriguez had tried to break into the apartment by forcing open a window near the front door. 

When his attempts failed, Rodriguez allegedly poured a liquid fire starter on the front entryway and attempted to ignite it with a lighter, intending to set the apartment on fire while the occupants were still inside. 

A Spanish speaking officer arrived at the scene to help translate for the Spanish speaking victims and record statements.

Rodriguez was taken into custody shortly after at his residence at 285 Cambridge Lane. 

Once in custody, officers found a white powdery substance wrapped in a napkin in his pocket.  The substance field tested for the presence of Fentanyl.  During the post-Miranda interview, the suspect admitted to lighting the front door mat on fire, according to the police report. 

The police also report noted that Acevedo-Rodriguez had committed crimes against the victims in the days leading up to the incident, but these were not reported until the night of this incident.  Allegedly, the suspect also stole a passport belonging to one of the victims. 

He had also sent threatening text messages to the victim on June 20, 2024. One message included a picture of a firearm with a caption saying, “I’m not going to sleep until I get this anger out of me.” Another message featured a photo of the front of her apartment, warning, “I’m going to give it all to whoever goes in or goes out of there from now on.”

He was booked into the Brevard County Jail on a no bond status and an administrative hearing regarding probable cause was set for today. 

The Blake Moia Show will keep our audience updated.