Cape Coral convicted felon accused of stealing handgun from home he was renovating

CAPE CORAL, Fla. —

A convicted felon was arrested in Cape Coral after police say he stole a gun from a residence he was hired to renovate.

According to the Cape Coral Police Department, officers responded to a home in the northwest part of the city on Jan. 15. Officers say that a burglary and a theft of a firearm occurred, and that the victim told them that their handgun went missing.

The CCPD says the victim had hired a contractor, and that workers had no permission to enter the bedroom. Officers say that one of the workers the contractor hired, Malcolm Timmons, 42, manipulated an interior camera and walked to a nearby bush, where he hid an item they say was the stolen handgun.

Officers say text messages between the contractor and Timmons documented Timmons being confronted about the stolen handgun and admitting to returning it by placing it in a mailbox.

Officers say additional video confirms this. They say that a light blue Ford sedan could be seen stopping near a neighbor's mailbox. A man could be seen placing an item inside before driving away, they add.

They say an investigation revealed that Timmons is a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing a firearm. He was arrested Friday.

Timmons is charged with burglary of an unoccupied dwelling while armed, grand theft of a firearm and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.