Homeless man arrested after allegedly breaking Publix windows, slashing tires on 30 cars
Staff report
Updated on June 18
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Amos A. Reece, 43, was arrested early this morning after allegedly breaking two windows at the Springhill Commons Publix and slashing tires on about 30 vehicles.
At about 12:07 a.m. on June 17, an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy responded to Publix (9200 NW 39th Avenue), where a Publix employee said someone threw something at the windows and ran away. The deputy reported that two windows were “destroyed.”
Video surveillance reportedly showed a man throwing objects at the windows, which broke on impact, and then running away on foot.
Deputies found Reece under the I-75 overpass at NW 39th Avenue at 3:37 a.m. and detained him.
Post Miranda, Reece reportedly admitted to committing multiple acts of property damage “due to a vendetta against those who look down on him.” He reportedly said he slashed tires on about 30 vehicles using a multitool, which was found in a search incident to arrest.
Reece has been charged with property damage over $1,000 for the damage to the Publix windows, and charges for the tires are pending while deputies identify and contact the owners of the vehicles.
Update on June 18: Reece has been charged with three counts of property damage under $1,000 and one count of property damage of $1,000 or more for slashed tires on four vehicles at Publix, Haven Hospice, and Shands Vista.
The arresting deputy noted that while being transported to the jail, Reece “used multiple slurs and made multiple death threats to supposed family members and law enforcement.” He was not charged with making these threats because he was in handcuffs and did not have the ability to carry out his threats.
Reece, who is described as homeless on his arrest report, has an unspecified criminal history in another state between 2003 and 2017 but no local criminal history; court documents do not state how long he has been in the area. Judge Kristine Van Vorst set bail at $75,000 and ordered a mental health evaluation.
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.
probably paid $50 by a tire shop
The loony bin crowd seems to be attracted to Gainesville. I wonder why?
lou, brings to mind the recording “King of the Road” by Roger Miller. Hobo’s and Tramps have always had a “grapevine”. They know every handout in every town. I’m quite sure liberal Gainesville tops the SE US.
I’ll keep repeating this. Type the word homeless into the search box above and you can see hundreds of rapes, robberies, and attacks going back years. What you never see is the city of Gainesville solving this problem.
I saw this guy at the exit ramp there panhandling in a wheel chair . Imagine my surprise when he got up to get the money I had for him ! I laughed and gave it to him anyway and thought that’s the last time I offer them bums a red nickel
Should have saved some tire costs, I mean tax costs, and just ran his sorry ass over.
That 🚛 the other day hit the wrong person.
This is not a promotion for violence, just a voice of frustration and loss of patience with the locally elected leaders who do little to nothing to stop these types.
@ Duped dope
It’s a red cent not a red nickel you m*o*r*o*n.
To be so petty, sounds like you have no cents at all.
Inflation. 😉 🙁
There’s no reason he can’t coin a phrase that takes inflation into account.
DON’T FEED THE WILD ANIMALS!
If you keep giving them money, they will continue to stand there and take it. Stop enabling bad behavior.
What a jackass
It should be a crime to feed or donate anything to these bums. They are like alligators. If you leave them alone they won’t hurt you, but the moment you start feeding them they just see you as another victim
I guess its getting too hot to panhandle now that summer is here.
You just wonder what was open at 12:05 in the morning in that area that 30 vehicles were damaged.
People work after hours at grocery stores you know. Shelves don’t fill themselves.
I think some of the vehicles were in a nearby residential neighborhood, from a different news report. He needs some jailhouse face tattoos, whether he wants them or not.
Sadly, health care workers, along with Publix. He hit Spring Hill, psychiatric hospital, and hospice from my understanding.
And the insurance companies are refusing to cover the four tires per car for the nurses and staff vehicles. Vandalism is vandalism.
Seems like the psych ward and hospice could provide a solution to his not doing this type of crime again.
It’s Hospice. So all the staff tending the dying and any family at the bedside of the dying. . . This was just another burden for all those folks- You can google map it. So jaded these days. Yeah I would prefer that he have hit micanopy’s strip joint.
No local criminal history, because he hadn’t been here long enough yet. Drifted our way because G’ville LOVES bums.
He came here from elsewhere, wonder why?
Publix should sue the local bar association for damages, loss of biz.
ACLUSPLCDNC 👿👺🤡💩👹
Can people sue the City & County Commission for damages? They are responsible for creating a place for the homeless and rolling out the welcome mat.
What an A-hole…
Slashing tires on working people’s cars, yeah, that’s a brilliant way to indicate your own craziness dude.