Armed robber gets 15 years

A Gainesville man who deputies said had his 3-year-old child in the vehicle with him when he committed a robbery a little more than two years ago in Marion County, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison.

On Monday, Kareem Mutcherson, 25, pleaded guilty to robbery with a firearm while wearing a mask. He was adjudicated guilty by Judge Willard Pope. A second charge of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon on a person over 65 was dropped. Court records show Mutcherson has 735 days credit time served in jail.

Assistant State Attorney Nick Camuccio prosecuted the case. Mutcherson was represented by Gregg Brennan.

On May 1, 2017, Marion County Sheriff’s deputies received a 911 call around 2 a.m. about a home invasion robbery on Silver Lane in Silver Springs Shores. Several people in the residence told deputies a shirtless man with a bandana covering his face, who had tattoos and was armed with a gun, entered the home and took an Xbox, a Wii, a PlayStation 3 and video games. He hit one person in the head with the firearm.

Detective Bradley Bartlett, who was on his way to the home, saw an older model Chevy Impala leaving the area with a malfunctioning headlight. Bartlett stopped the car and realized that the driver — Mutcherson — matched the description of the person from the home invasion robbery. An Xbox in the back seat of the Chevy was similar to the one reported stolen. Mutcherson's 3-year-old daughter was in the car.

Two witnesses identified Mutcherson as the man who committed the robbery, authorities said.

Mutcherson told authorities he had been in the company of a female at the house earlier that evening. He said she gave him the Xbox as a birthday gift and the reason he did not have the cords to the unit was because she “was in a rush.” He denied committing the robbery.

The woman confirmed she had contact with Mutcherson earlier in the evening.

Mutcherson was arrested May 1, 2017, and has remained at the Marion County Jail since that date.

Contact Austin L. Miller at 867-4118, austin.miller@starbanner.com or @almillerosb.