Gainesville man arrested after months-long shoplifting spree

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Kevin Alexander Hamilton II, 36, was arrested yesterday after allegedly walking out of Target with over $200 in stolen merchandise. He had warrants in several other cases, including thefts of expensive items from home improvement stores, and several more cases are pending.

At about 11:27 a.m. on December 11, Loss Prevention Officers at Target (3970 SW Archer Road) saw Hamilton entering the store and recognized him as someone who had repeatedly stolen from the business. They watched him on surveillance video as he allegedly picked out a suitcase, removed the tags, put it in a shopping cart, and used it to conceal a container of laundry pods and a pair of pants, for a total value of $226 with the suitcase.

Hamilton left the store and found Gainesville Police Department officers waiting for him. The arresting officer reported that he was cooperative and said he had been forced to steal the merchandise because he owed a man $200 for letting him stay at his house. The merchandise was recovered.

Hamilton also had warrants for additional incidents. On April 23, he and a co-defendant allegedly took two window air conditioners and a pressure washer, valued at a total of $1,237, from Home Depot on NW 13th Street and wheeled them out of the store on a flatbed cart without paying. That arrest report notes that Hamilton had carried out a similar theft at Lowe’s on April 1.

On April 24, Hamilton and two co-defendants allegedly stole two pressure washers and two generators, valued at a total of $3,399, from Tractor Supply on NW 13th Street; Hamilton and one of the co-defendants arrived at Lightning Pawn a few minutes later and pawned the items. The officer in that case wrote, “The enterprise carried out by [Hamilton] and [the co-defendant] was well organized and efficient. [The co-defendant] carried out the theft at Tractor Supply as well as the subsequent sale of the stolen property in less than one hour.”

On July 16, Hamilton and a different co-defendant allegedly took electric bicycles from a locked fenced area inside Infinity Hall.

Additional cases are pending.

Hamilton has been charged with burglary of an unoccupied structure, dealing in stolen property, grand theft, and three counts of felony petit theft (with two or more prior theft convictions). He has five felony convictions (one violent) and 12 misdemeanor convictions (one violent) and has served two state prison sentences, with his most recent release in 2019. Judge Susan Miller-Jones set bail at $210,000.

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.