At 9:15 a.m. Wednesday Naval Air Station Whiting Field security force personnel, members of the Milton Police Department, and Santa Rosa Sheriff’s Office (SRSO) deputies resolved a home invasion situation at Whiting Pines Apartments. Cameron Belenger, 18, was taken into custody and charged with multiple charges to include: home invasion robbery, aggravated assault with a weapon, kidnapping, burglary of a conveyance, tampering with victim, and larceny.
The story began with a SRSO traffic stop, according to SRSO Public Information Officer Rich Aloy. He said a deputy performed “a traffic stop on the suspect’s vehicle and he took off running.”
According to the Milton Police Department Facebook post on the arrest, “officers responded to Whiting Pines in reference to a white male with a gun.”
Milton Police Captain Tony Tindell said, after Belenger ran, “(he) broke into the victim's vehicle first; I believe it was unlocked. He…got a shovel and entered the home. While he was in there, he got two knives and ordered the residents around in the house saying ‘Get to this location. Get in that location.’”
One person inside the house, Tindell said, the suspect wasn’t aware of and slipped out a window and called the police. “We got there whenever (Belenger) had the people inside. When we entered in the back door, he ran out front where we had officers waiting.”
Aloy confirmed the SRSO recovered a firearm and a small amount of marijuana.
According to the Milton Police Department Facebook post on the arrest, “No citizens or officers were injured in this incident, nor was the suspect, who was transported to SRCJ (Santa Rosa County Jail) without incident.”
Note, this situation occurred a little over a month after Naval Air Station Whiting Field security force personnel and members of the Milton Police Department practiced responding to an active shooter situation at Whiting Pines Apartments as part of the annual Solid Curtain/Citadel Shield, the Anti-Terrorism/Force Protection exercise.
"We truly appreciate the quick response from Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office and the Milton Police Department," NAS Whiting Field Captain Todd Bahlau stated. "They are tremendous partners in helping keep our military families and civilians in Whiting Pines safe."
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Milton PD: Home invasion ends without injury at Whiting Pines