Homeless man arrested after allegedly robbing convenience store and stabbing employee who chased him

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Jean Carlos Santini-Medina, 43, was arrested and charged with a Christmas Eve armed robbery at Tienda Rosario during which he allegedly stabbed a store employee who chased him.

At about 5:09 p.m. on December 24, Santini-Medina allegedly walked into the store at 4128 NW 6th Street wearing a mask, hat, and gloves and placed something hard against the back of a customer. The customer told a responding Gainesville Police Department officer that he reached back and felt a firearm, then ran from the store.

Santini-Medina then allegedly pointed a gun from under his shirt at a store employee and told her to give him money. She also ran from the store.

Santini-Medina allegedly jumped over the counter and took about $10,000 in cash from the money drawer. As Santini-Medina walked out of the store, another employee walked into the store and turned to chase Santini-Medina down the road; a bystander saw this and helped chase Santini-Medina down.

When the pair caught up to Santini-Medina, all three reportedly began fighting, and Santini-Medina allegedly produced a knife and stabbed the employee who chased him. During the fight, Santini-Medina’s mask and gloves came off, allowing the stabbing victim to clearly see his face.

The stabbing victim and bystander identified Santini-Medina from a photo line-up, and the stabbing victim also told police that he recognized Santini-Medina from previous encounters at the store. The owner of the store later provided Santini-Medina’s name after she recognized him as someone who had previously done work at the business and knew where the money drawer was.

Santini-Medina, who is listed as homeless in court records, has one felony conviction (none violent) and two misdemeanor convictions (none violent). Santini-Medina is on pre-trial release for a December 13 arrest after allegedly resisting an officer who reported Santini-Medina was carrying a machete and rode away on a bike when the officer commanded him to stop. He was released on his own recognizance after that arrest.

Judge William Davis set bail at $100,000 on the armed robbery charge.

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. 

  • Good for the employees and bystander who took action! God bless you. You need a raise.

    If you own a business, ban masks. Banks know all about this. Don’t allow the Covid excuse…Covid is the flu and cold but with military grade propaganda.

    Maybe us citizens should crowd fund transportation out-of-state for the ever growing homeless population here. We all know the city and county won’t address it! All they do is encourage it

  • Well he has a warm place with three meals a day for a while. Hopefully they will not give him a deal on this. A fair question would also be – why is a mom/pop convenience store have $10,000 cash at the store. I would not think they are doing that much business but who knows anymore.

    • Absolutely! Employee would have been justified, and done society a solid.

  • “Jean Carlos Santini-Medina”….name don’t sound like he’s from around these parts? Maybe he’s one of those Biden keeps letting in through our ‘secured’ southern border?

    • Born in Puerto Rico. Been here a while. Court records go back a bit. They have his name in the system spelled out different ways.

  • “Judge William Davis set bail at $100,000 on the armed robbery charge.”
    What about the assault with a deadly weapon charge, maybe even attempted murder? Sheesh!

  • I’d like to know where he’s from? Sounds like one of Brandon’s boys. We the taxpayers are supporting these people.

  • Brave man that chased him. I bet next time they will be ready and armed. If this had happened at a chain store employee would be fired. Word gets out in “Bum World” stay away from this place.

  • Another Dem city sanctuary magnet maggot to make scummy public lawyers and judges look busy. It’s time to add a Corrections section to the Constitution, folks 🤡👹

  • Unfortunately, chances are the employee who chased him down will be fired.

    Welcome to another criminal utopia that just happens to be governed by Democrats.

  • Hopefully he can get the help he needs. This is clearly a crime driven by poverty.

      • Exactly. Everyone has an excuse to commit a crime but yet no ever says it their fault for the choices they make.

  • When is gainesville going to push these homeless out of the city? They are countless crimes weekly caused by these degenerates. Won’t be long till there is another Danny Rolling who moves here because of gainesville welcoming the homeless here.

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