(Marion County, FL) Last week, 52-year-old Ronald Cyril Ganser and 60-year-old Mark J. Cambre were found guilty of Principal to Kidnapping, Burglary of a Dwelling with Assault, and Principal to Robbery with a Firearm. After the verdict was rendered, Judge Peter M. Brigham sentenced both defendants to Life in prison.   

The case began on February 21, 2022, when Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) deputies responded to a 9-1-1 call at a rural Micanopy home regarding an armed robbery in progress. The caller indicated they were able to escape from the house after seeing masked, armed assailants inside the residence.

The victim told officials they had exited the shower and heard their dogs barking. After getting dressed, they made their way down the hallway and saw multiple armed men standing inside the home and yelling at the two other victims held captive. Seeing the intruders, the victim fled the home, making their way to a neighbor’s house, where they were able to contact authorities.

The armed men, who stole various items from the residence, were attempting to make their escape in one of the victim’s cars when deputies arrived on scene. In their attempt to flee, the suspects crashed the stolen vehicle into a tree before taking off on foot. MCSO deployed its Aviation Unit to help locate the fleeing suspects in the heavily wooded area.

Additional deputies made their way to the house, where they heard one of the two victims yelling for help. The first victim was located inside a bathroom of the home, bound with tape. Officials were able to find the second victim, who was initially held captive in the home, but later escaped and hid from the suspects after faking a medical emergency. The victim told deputies the suspects appeared inside the home, where they bound the two victims, before beating one of them and asking for the combination to a safe located inside the residence.

Using aviation’s heat detection system, law enforcement located defendant Ganser and apprehended him. Responders observed Ganser to have remnants of latex gloves around his wrist. During the officials’ continuing investigation, Cambre was later developed as a suspect and taken into custody as well.

This case was successfully prosecuted by Assistant State Attorney Janine Nixon.

Published on 11/25/2025.