Staff report
NEWBERRY, Fla. – A 53-year-old man was taken into custody yesterday after authorities said he climbed onto a residential property in Newberry and entered an enclosed structure to get water.
According to an Alachua County Sheriff’s Office report, a deputy was called to the home after the property owner reviewed surveillance footage that allegedly showed Mark James Owens entering a fully enclosed structure around 10:56 a.m. Investigators said the video showed him turning on a faucet and allowing water to spill onto the ground. Roughly five minutes later, the man reportedly came back carrying a gallon jug and filled it with water. The deputy also noted that Owens allegedly had to jump a fence to access the property.
The victim told the deputy he did not know the man, though he had previously seen him at a neighboring property. The deputy later located Owens in the front yard of that nearby residence.
After being read his Miranda rights, Owens reportedly told the deputy he went to the victim’s property because children at the neighboring property did not have access to water. He allegedly said he did not believe taking the water amounted to theft because it was “just water.”
Owens, who is listed as homeless in the arrest report, was charged with burglary of an unoccupied structure and petit theft within a curtilage. Records cited in the report indicate he has a lengthy criminal history in Columbia County dating back to 1990. He was released from prison in October 2025 after serving an 18-month sentence for burglary and grand theft. Judge Phillip Pena set his bail at $100,000.
Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
