John Jefferson
Alex Kudlak on body camera video after he allegedly shot his gun into his neighbor’s house (Volusia County Sheriff’s Office)
A Florida man who was allegedly boozing it up and shooting a gun at a tree in his backyard missed his target — with the bullets entering a neighbor’s home with a family including two children inside.
According to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, the family was in their home on Evergreen Terrace near DeLand shortly before 12:30 p.m. Sunday when bullets started flying, causing them to take cover in a bathroom. One of the bullets went through a window and into the room where the kids were standing, a probable cause arrest affidavit obtained by Law&Crime said. No one was struck by the gunfire.
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Deputies rushed to the home, one of them pulling out a rifle, and evacuated the home, body camera footage showed. One of the occupants told deputies she had no idea where the shots were coming from. Cops determined the bullets came from a home directly to the northwest of the impacted house. They knocked on the door and 38-year-old Alex Kudlak answered, gun in hand, the affidavit said. Kudlak admitted to firing the weapon.
“Yeah, I’m a dumba–,” he told cops.
Kudlak had trouble sitting down, saying he had probably “drank took much,” the video showed. Deputies found the tree he shot at along with four bullet holes in a fence behind it.
“Well at least he was fairly accurate. Sorta,” one deputy quipped.
Deputies took Kudlak into custody on two counts child endangerment and one count each of shooting into a dwelling, using a firearm while under the influence and criminal mischief. He remains in the Volusia County Jail without bond.
Homeowner Heather Barlip told Orlando CBS affiliate WKMG she was on the front porch when she heard the shots.
“That’s when my older son came running out with his baby and told me that a bullet came through his window,” she told the TV station.
At first she couldn’t believe it until she went inside the home and saw the bullet holes. In all, it caused about $1,300 in damage to the home, per the affidavit. She was furious that this happened, especially with her loved ones inside.
And she had a message for Kudlak.
“Next time, think about where you’re at before you start shooting targets or whatever you’re doing — and especially don’t get intoxicated while you’re doing this,” she said.
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