Coconut Creek man accused of entering ex-girlfriend’s apartment carrying a two-foot wrench

Coconut Creek, Florida – A 22-year-old Coconut Creek man faces two felony charges after police say he entered an apartment carrying a metal lug wrench while his former girlfriend and her current boyfriend were in bed.

Steven Thomas Gale was charged with two counts of burglary with assault or battery in connection with the October 6 incident, according to Coconut Creek Police Department arrest records.

Officers responded to a report of a burglary in progress at the apartment shortly before midnight. Investigators said Gale had gone to the residence after learning that his ex-girlfriend was spending the night with another man.

The arrest affidavit describes contact between Gale and the woman’s brother before Gale arrived. According to that account, Gale asked the brother to leave the apartment’s front door open, saying he wanted to speak with his former girlfriend.

The brother unlocked the door and then went to take a shower, records state. Police said Gale subsequently entered through that unlocked front entrance.

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Before going inside, however, Gale allegedly retrieved a metal lug wrench from his vehicle. Investigators described the tool as approximately 24 inches long. That measurement places it at about two feet, the wrench referenced in the allegations against him.

Police said Gale carried the wrench into the apartment and walked toward his ex-girlfriend’s bedroom. The bedroom door was closed, and the woman and her current boyfriend were lying in bed, unaware that Gale had entered the residence, according to the affidavit.

The account distinguishes between the brother’s contact with Gale and the couple’s knowledge of his arrival. Although the brother had unlocked the front door at Gale’s request, police said the two people in the bedroom did not know he was inside.

The information provided from the arrest records outlines Gale’s alleged actions before entering the apartment and his movement toward the bedroom. It does not describe what happened next or provide details of the alleged assault or battery underlying the two charges.

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The supplied account also does not say whether anyone was injured or explain how officers encountered Gale after responding to the burglary report. No statements from Gale, his former girlfriend or her current boyfriend were included in the information provided.

Both charges stem from the same reported incident. The allegations about Gale’s reason for visiting, his request to the woman’s brother and his possession of the wrench are attributed to investigators and the arrest affidavit.

Gale is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.