Homeless man arrested for indecent exposure outside store

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Ricardo A. Martin, 40, was arrested yesterday morning for allegedly exposing himself in a recliner outside the loading dock of the Goodwill Retail Store and Donation Center on NW 23rd Avenue.

At about 9 a.m. on July 12, a Gainesville Police Department officer was approached by a Goodwill employee who said a man was actively and openly masturbating outside the store. The victim said that when she arrived at work, she found a man sitting in a recliner outside the loading bay, touching his exposed genitals. The officer noted that the loading bay area is visible to people passing on the sidewalk and the roadway.

The victim said she verbally confronted the man, and he further opened his legs to expose himself in a “vulgar” manner and then continued masturbating his exposed genitals.

The officer reportedly approached the man, later identified as Martin, and saw him sitting in the recliner with his eyes closed, actively masturbating under his shorts. The officer called out to him and noted that he was startled; when asked what he was doing, he reportedly said he was scratching himself.

Martin, whose address is listed as GRACE Marketplace, has been charged with indecent exposure. He has two felony convictions (non-violent) and nine misdemeanor convictions (non-violent); he was arrested in October 2024 for molesting a young child while babysitting and remained in the Alachua County Jail until February 2026, when the charges were dropped. Judge Susan Miller-Jones set bail at $20,000 on the new 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.