Homeless man arrested for shoplifting and pawning brand-new items ‘almost daily’

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – David Alec Summers, 45, was arrested yesterday for shoplifting and pawning stolen items “almost daily”; more charges are expected.

A Gainesville Police Department detective reported that a security guard at Butler Plaza saw Summers riding his bike to a pawn shop, carrying brand-new items, on several recent days. The security guard said he was familiar with Summers, who is “one of the known homeless people who frequent the Clark Butler area.”

The security guard told the detective that he believed the items were stolen because Summers is homeless, unemployed, and has a drug problem; some of the items, such as generators, are very expensive; Summers was always coming from the direction of Butler Plaza stores that sell the items he is pawning; this happens almost every day; Summers is a known shoplifter; and if Summers had purchased these items, it would not make any sense for him to sell them to a pawn shop for less than he paid.

The detective investigated Summers’ recent pawn sales and found them “alarming”; he also learned that Summers has been accompanying Donald Wetherington (click here for yesterday’s article about Wetherington) to the pawn shop, and Wetherington recently pawned a new-in-the-box generator, “apparently at the behest of [Summers].” Summers has also reportedly pawned two new-in-the box generators recently.

In a post-arrest interview, Wetherington reportedly implicated Summers as the person who actually stole the generator from Sam’s Club on May 22 and later asked him to pawn it. Wetherington reportedly said Summers told him the generator was stolen, but he agreed to sell it “out of stupidity.”

The security guard reported that on May 27, Summers had a new wagon attached to his bicycle; Wetherington was also reportedly riding a bicycle with a wagon when he was arrested.

When Summers went to the pawn shop on May 27, he sold a trailer hitch, a drill set, and a generator, all new and in their boxes.

The detective spoke with a Loss Prevention Officer (LPO) at the Butler Plaza Walmart; the LPO was familiar with Summers and checked surveillance video for recent incidents. The LPO reported that at 10 a.m. on May 27, Summers parked his bicycle outside the garden exit; he entered the store, selected the bicycle wagon, a car amplifier, and a drill set, and allegedly walked out of the store without paying.

Summers reportedly tried to attach the wagon to his bicycle and then placed the amplifier and drill set in the wagon and went back into the store. Summers allegedly selected a trailer hitch and a heavy-duty spring lock and again walked out without paying. A Walmart door host asked him for his receipt, but he reportedly ignored the request and walked out.

Summers reportedly went back to his bicycle, placed the trailer hitch in the wagon, and used the spring lock to attach the wagon to the bicycle before riding away.

The stolen merchandise was valued at $534.14.

The detective’s investigation found that Summers rode from there to Sam’s Club, where he allegedly stole a generator, and then went to the pawn shop and sold the trailer hitch, drill set, and generator (included in a different case report).

On May 29, the detective reportedly found Summers panhandling near Butler Plaza and arrested him.

Post Miranda, Summers reportedly admitted to one of the generator thefts from Sam’s Club before asking for a lawyer.

Summers was also charged with stealing a four-pack of beer from the CVS at 3404 SW Archer Road. The manager at the store told the detective that Summers steals every time he comes into the store. Summers was also previously trespassed from the store, and more charges are expected for past CVS thefts. The detective reported that Summers had the beer at the time of his arrest and had finished drinking one of them.

Summers has been charged with two counts of theft, dealing in stolen property, and providing false information on a pawn form. He has two felony convictions (non-violent) and 17 misdemeanor convictions (two violent).

Summers was arrested in January 2025 for stalking a homeless woman and throwing a flashlight at a second woman. He entered a plea of nolo contendere to battery (the stalking charge was dropped), and on April 22, Judge Kristine Van Vorst sentenced him to 84 days in jail with credit for 84 days served, followed by a year of probation. He failed to report to his probation officer after his release; on May 5, a probation violation affidavit was filed, and on July 30, a warrant was issued for his arrest. He was arrested on August 8, and on August 19, Judge Aymer “Buck” Curtin reinstated his probation with a requirement for day reporting; he also changed the requirement to take an Anger Management course to a requirement to get a mental health evaluation and follow the recommended treatment plan.

Summers again failed to report to his probation officer after his release, and another warrant for his arrest was issued on September 5. He was arrested on September 10, 2025, for threatening a man with a machete on the Depot Park trail; those charges were later dropped, but he served 6 months for violating probation in the previous case and was released in January 2026.

A sworn complaint was also filed against Summers for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after he allegedly threw a rock at a tent on November 11, 2024, hitting a victim in the head, and then stood over two people, holding a large rock and saying, “There is going to be a homicide tonight,” “Have you ever been to the trauma unit?” and “I will kill you.” Those charges were dropped in February 2025.

Judge George Wright set bail at $125,000 on the new charges.

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