St. Augustine man accused of burglarizing $4 million penthouse owned by Taylor Swift’s dad

Swift’s father fought off Terrence Hoover, 30, who has a history of arrests in St. Johns County

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – A St. Augustine man is accused of burglarizing a multi-million dollar penthouse owned by the father of pop star Taylor Swift.

According to a report from the Tampa Bay Times, Terrence Hoover of St. Augustine got past security at Vinoy Place condos in St. Petersburg last month before entering the $4 million condo owned by Scott Swift.

Hoover got into the top-floor penthouse by entering the emergency stairwell and climbing 13 flights of stairs, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by News4Jax.

Surveillance video shows Hoover coming out of the stairwell and into the penthouse just before 10 p.m. on Jan. 17.

Shortly after Hoover got inside, Scott Swift arrived home and the two got into a physical altercation. Hoover eventually ran off, court records show.

Hoover’s mother, Donna DeNapoli, spoke with News4Jax on Monday and said the whole incident was a misunderstanding.

DeNapoli said Hoover was trying to get to his van on the other side of the condo complex when he saw a door wide open.

“After he was in the building he opened one door and went to a balcony and went oh, I’ll just go to the top floor and it probably goes to the roof and I’ll take pictures of St. Petersburg,” DeNapoli said.

After he got to the penthouse he ran into Scott Swift. DeNapoli said she was on the phone with her son when Scott Swift started punching him.

“He did not mean any harm to anybody. He didn’t mean anything by it he just got lost and he had no intention of doing anything wrong," DeNapoli said.

Scott Swift was not immediately available for comment.

Hoover then called police himself and told them about the encounter but refused to return to the penthouse to speak with the St. Petersburg Police Department, records show. He then is believed to have fled the county.

Swift later identified Hoover in a photo lineup, according to the affidavit.

Hoover was eventually arrested in Marion County in February, arrest records show. He now faces a burglary charge and remains in jail in Pinellas County on a $50,000 bail.

Hoover, 30, has a history of arrests in St. Johns County dating back to 2008 including accusations of reckless driving, trespassing, battery and aggravated assault.

DeNapoli said her son was in St. Petersburg to try and find his wife who took off six months ago. She claims her son’s previous arrests are all because of his wife.

Terrence Hoover, 30, has a history of arrests in St. Johns County. (St. Johns County Sheriff's Office)

About the Authors:

Corley Peel is a Texas native and Texas Tech graduate who covered big stories in Joplin, Missouri, Tulsa, Oklahoma and Jacksonville, Florida before returning to the Lone Star State. When not reporting, Corley enjoys hot yoga, Tech Football, and finding the best tacos in town.

Digital reporter who has lived in Jacksonville for more than 25 years and focuses on important local issues like education and the environment.