Boca Raton Homeowner Arrested After Confronting City Worker On His Property

Eugene Lavin Of Boca Raton Arrested

BOCA RATON, FL – Boca Post (BocaPost.com) — A Boca Raton homeowner was arrested by the Boca Raton Police Department for robbery by sudden snatching after he confronted a city employee who was on his property late in the evening.

On Halloween, at about 9:30 PM, officers arrived at a home on the 6800 block of NE 7th Ave and met with a city employee who said a homeowner assaulted him.

The city’s utility worker told Police he was on an emergency call out at a home on the 6800 block of 7th Ave servicing a water meter when the resident, identified as Eugene Lavin, came over and aggressively asked the victim what he was doing in his yard. The worker then told Lavin that he was with the City of Boca servicing the water meter for the resident. The worker stated Lavin did not believe him after showing him the white work truck and the uniform shirt that says, “City of Boca Raton”, so he snatched the paperwork out of the victim’s hands and scratched him.

Police then spoke to the homeowner, Eugene Lavin, who said did not feel like the worker had any business being on his property at 8 o’clock at night. Lavin said he was going to file a complaint with the city of Boca Raton, so he took pictures of the license plate, the truck, and the worker. Lavin said he then snatched the paper from him to take as evidence.

The report does not indicate whether or not the city employee attempted to make contact with Lavin prior to entering his private property at night.

According to the arrest affidavit, officers were able to recover the paperwork from the inside of Lavin’s home on a dining room table. Officers report that they did not see any scratches on the worker’s hands.

Eugene Lavin was arrested and charged with robbery by sudden snatching. Lavin was booked into the PBSO jail where he was released the following day without bond. Court records indicate that Lavin pleaded not guilty and is being represented by a criminal defense attorney Douglas Rudman.