A 58-year-old Palm Coast man is facing felony charges after deputies say he used a hammer and an electric string trimmer to punch a hole through the shared wall of his duplex, threatening his neighbor the entire time. Charles Bowden refused to leave his home for more than an hour and a half before deputies talked him into stepping outside, where he was taken into custody.
The incident unfolded early Sunday morning in the B-Section of Palm Coast, also known as Indian Trails, according to the WKMG ClickOrlando report on the arrest. The victim reported the disturbance and captured audio of the break-in attempt before deputies arrived, catching the sounds of active hammering and a power tool running alongside Bowden laughing and yelling threats, according to the Flagler County Sheriff's Office. On that recording, per the victim, Bowden can be heard saying, “I'm going to be crawling through the walls and figure out ways to make your life hell.”
Hammer, Trimmer Found Covered in Drywall Dust
Investigators found a hole roughly the size of a softball in the wall between the two units, per investigators cited in the WKMG report. Both a hammer and an electric string trimmer were found near the hole in Bowden's wall, per deputies, and both tools were covered in drywall residue. Per the victim's audio recording, Bowden also called the victim names during the confrontation.
Deputies attempted to contact Bowden directly, but he refused to speak with them and would not leave the home. At one point, Bowden threw a bag out of an upstairs window toward deputies. Deputies eventually convinced him to step outside by calling him on the phone, ending the standoff after more than 90 minutes.
Charges Carry Up to Life in Prison
Bowden now faces charges of burglary with assault or battery and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill. Burglary with an assault or battery is classified as a first-degree felony under Florida Statute § 810.02(2)(a), punishable by up to life imprisonment and a $10,000 fine, according to the Florida Senate. Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, the secondary charge, is a third-degree felony carrying up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine under Florida Statute § 784.021.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly did not mince words describing the suspect, calling Bowden a “neighbor from hell.” Staly said the incident did not escalate further than a hole in the wall, but added that nobody should be made to feel threatened while in the safety of their home. Bowden is being held without bond at the jail Staly famously nicknamed the “Green Roof Inn” in 2018, when he installed an $819 retro-neon vacancy sign at the facility's entrance, according to FlaglerLive. The facility also runs the Successful Mental Health and Addiction Recovery Treatment program, offering inmate mental health screening, counseling and peer support, per the Flagler County Board of County Commissioners.
A Rare Case Amid Falling Crime Numbers
The arrest came during a busy Labor Day weekend for Flagler County deputies, who logged 1,160 calls for service, made 274 traffic stops and arrested 18 people between September 4 and September 8, according to the sheriff's office. It stands out against a backdrop of declining violent crime countywide — assault-related offenses in Flagler County fell 27% year-over-year, from 1,043 incidents in 2024 to 760 in 2025, per sheriff's office statistics released in February. A city survey conducted between January and March found that 96% of surveyed residents reported feeling safe in their neighborhoods during daytime hours.
The B-Section where the duplex sits is one of Palm Coast's original master-planned subdivisions, laid out by ITT Community Development Corporation in the late 1960s with every street name beginning with the letter B, according to AskFlagler. Palm Coast has grown rapidly in recent years, with the U.S. Census Bureau estimating its population at 109,886 as of July 2025, a 23.2% jump from the 89,224 residents counted in the 2020 Census. What sparked the confrontation between the two duplex neighbors remains unclear, and investigators have not detailed any prior disputes between them.
