For Additional Headlines - go to our News Section »

• Attorney General Investigating Panama City Oil Operations Contractors
  made by oneredkitty
• Locals Sound off on AZ Immigration Battle
  made by Scavenger
• Attorney General Investigating Panama City Oil Operations Contractors
  made by COWGIRL
• New Millage Plan Passes With School Board
  made by Dewey712
• Attorney General Investigating Panama City Oil Operations Contractors
  made by oneredkitty

1 Arrested, 1 Sought in Burglary Ring
03/08/10 - 08:20 PM

Bay County Sheriff Office

 RSS Feed

Bay County Sheriff Frank McKeithen announced today the arrest of one member of a father and son team authorities believe responsible for multiple burglaries across the Sunshine State. The pair’s web of deception began to unravel on March 6, 2010, when the father victimized the son in much the same way as they had store owners in Lee, Monroe, Walton, and Escambia Counties. William Theodore Rudolph is believed to have stolen son Richard James Rudolph’s wallet and cell phone and abandoned him in Escambia County. The son promptly called the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office to report his father.

The BCSO case began on February 23rd, 2010, when the Half Hitch Tackle Shop in Bay County was burglarized by two white men that pried open the front door and were captured on security video stealing about $5,000 in fishing equipment. They left in a gold Ford Ranger with an extended cab. Information on the burglary and a description of the suspects and their vehicle was released to law enforcement throughout the state of Florida.

On March 1, 2010, the BCSO received a call from a detective at the Gulf Breeze Police Department with information on a similar burglary at a local bait and tackle shop in which over $30,000 in Costa Del Mar sunglasses and fishing equipment was stolen. Information was also received about a similar burglary of a bait and tackle store in Walton County on January 26, 2010. A break in the case came in a call from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. A Costa Del Mar representative had spotted a white male selling Costa Del Mar sunglasses out of a gold Ford Ranger with an extended cab. The sunglasses rep had gotten the tag number on the truck.

BCSO investigators ran the tag number which was registered to a William Theodore Rudolph, Junior, DOB 5/16/56, last known address in Cape Coral, Florida. The tag number also turned up in another case involving the attempted theft of about $600 in steaks from Publix on the West end of Panama City Beach. Security video in that incident captured a suspect that was wearing exactly the same clothes as the suspect in the Bay County Half Hitch Tackle burglary and witnesses gave the same tag number. Both incidents just happened to have occurred on the same day—February 23, 2010.

Warrants were then issued on William Theodore Rudolph, but the other suspect in the burglaries remained a mystery until on March 6, 2010, when son Richard James Rudolph became what investigators believe was his father’s latest victim.

Richard James Rudolph, DOB 8/6/88, last known address in Fort Myers, Florida, stated his father took his wallet and cell phone and abandoned him in Escambia County. The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office contacted the BCSO and when investigators from the BCSO questioned him they were able to develop information that connected the family duo to the other burglaries involving primarily bait and tackle shops in Florida. Richard James Rudolph was arrested and charged with Burglary and Grand Theft. His father, William Theodore Rudolph, remains at large although warrants have been issued on the same charges for him. Anyone with information on the location of William Theodore Rudolph, DOB 5/16/56, is asked to call Investigator Kathi Bowker at the Bay County Sheriff’s Office at 747-4700.