VERO BEACH — A third man has been charged in connection to a home invasion where three men forced another man inside a home at gunpoint, pistol-whipped him and kidnapped his girlfriend, police said.
Gary Anthony Miller, 29, was charged Tuesday with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, attempted robbery with a deadly weapon and armed burglary of a dwelling. He is being held at the Indian River County Jail on $750,000 bond.
Gary Miller
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY INDIAN RIVER COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Police went to a home shortly after midnight Saturday on Sea Horse Lane in response to a possible abduction. Police spoke with the victim, who said he was house-sitting for his uncle about 11:30 p.m. when his girlfriend arrived at the home.
The victim and his girlfriend talked for about 30 minutes in the driveway before walking to the back patio. Once there, the couple was rushed by three men, each armed with a handgun, police said.
Those men were Miller, Matthew Nichols and Terry Parmer. The men forced the victim inside while the girlfriend followed behind.
The victim was thrown to the ground and pistol-whipped several times while being asked where the safe was located. One of the men pointed a gun at the victim’s girlfriend and said he would kill her if the victim didn’t tell them the safe’s location.
The victim told the men there was no safe. So, the men took the girlfriend and fled from the home in the woman’s car, police said. The woman’s car was later found at a Raceway gas station convenience store at 9490 108th Ave, just outside of Fellsmere.
Security cameras at the gas station captured the car pulling into Raceway, where the woman was then seen casually walking west toward McDonalds. There was nobody walking with her at that time.
The victim had told police he and his girlfriend recently had relationship issues and that her being involved in the attack “isn’t outside the realm of possibility.”
Police said the woman called the Sheriff’s Office from Raceway to report she had been abducted. Police spoke with the woman and later spoke to Nichols, who admitted to holding the victim down while Parmer pistol-whipped him.
Police also spoke with Miller, who admitted he knew that he, Parmer, Nichols were going to the victim’s uncle’s house to beat up the victim, police said. Miller, knowing the events that were about to take place, still participated, police said.
Miller was arrested and taken to the county jail for booking. No further details were available.
