A 21-year-old Ocala man slipped up Monday when detectives, surveillance footage, and momguilt teamed up to crack a string of early-morning car break-ins in Ocala. The suspect, identified as Devone Dillen Javier Kubehl, allegedly tiptoed through the neighborhood at sunrise on October 26, opening unlocked cars like they were part of an after-hours estate sale.
Authorities say Kubehl struck at least three vehicles parked outside homes on the small residential street, allegedly swiping a brand-new Taurus 9mm handgun worth $230 from one car and vehicle title paperwork from two others — each valued at the bargain price of $2.50.
One victim didn’t even realize she’d been hit until her neighbor walked over with bad news: They’d been hit too. That tip led deputies to video footage showing a young man in a light-colored shirt, a backpack, and no gloves — just sheer boldness — rummaging casually through a Mini Cooper before making off on foot. The suspect’s distinctive walk (reportedly “on tip-toe”) and a visible forearm tattoo served as the breadcrumb trail detectives needed.
The real break in the case came when detectives paid a visit to Kubehl’s Water Track Trail residence. While the young man tried to bluff his way out of it, his mother stepped in and demanded the truth. He reportedly came clean on the spot, admitting that most of the items he’d posted on Facebook Marketplace were “from going into some cars.”
Detectives then found the stolen firearm under a pile of bed sheets in Kubehl’s room — serial number partially scratched off but not enough to hide its identity. Also recovered? The same backpack seen in the video and photos of Kubehl posing with the gun stored on his phone.
Kubehl was charged with armed burglary of a conveyance, two additional counts of burglary, grand theft of a firearm, and petit theft. He was booked into the Marion County Jail with no bond, and, likely, a very awkward family dinner awaiting his release.
