Gainesville man charged with 8 felonies for domestic violence and shoplifting incidents

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Algier Vanshawn Bess, 46, was arrested earlier this week on warrants for domestic violence and five shoplifting incidents; he allegedly pointed a knife at an ABC Liquor employee during one of the shoplifting incidents.

Bess allegedly engaged in a pattern of stealing items from ABC Liquor (5820 NW 34th Boulevard) by concealing his face and wearing various vests or clothing to disguise himself as a Walmart employee or a nurse, believing this would attract less suspicion.

The responding Gainesville Police Department (GPD) officer reported that surveillance video showed Bess stealing liquor valued at $90.98 on March 22, liquor valued at $215.94 on March 23, liquor valued at $7.49 on March 23, and liquor valued at $43.98 on April 4. On April 6, he allegedly left the store with liquor valued at $55.98 and then returned to the store later in the day and pointed a knife at a store employee. The officer reported that the employee never saw the knife, but the officer saw Bess display it on the surveillance video.

The officer reported that Bess is known to law enforcement by his street name, “Cash App,” and he has been captured on video in other stores, wearing the same outfits he wore at ABC Liquor.

On April 18, a GPD officer tried to detain Bess in the 5900 block of NW 25th Terrace, but he allegedly ran; the officer noted that he was wearing “nursing scrub” pants.

On April 25, a woman reported that Bess punched her in the face multiple times, causing a laceration on her face, lumps on her head, and bruises on her arms from being grabbed. She said she tried to leave, but Bess kept threatening her and blocking her from leaving. She said she feared for her life and waited until he fell asleep to sneak out and call 911.

Bess has been charged with six counts of felony petit theft with two or more prior convictions, improperly displaying a dangerous weapon, resisting an officer without violence, felony domestic battery, and false imprisonment. He has 10 felony convictions (three violent), 12 misdemeanor convictions (three violent), and three criminal traffic convictions, and he is facing an additional felony charge for five or more retail thefts within 30 days. He has served five state prison sentences, with his most recent release in 2023. Judge Meshon Rawls set bail at $440,000.

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