Homeless man arrested for trying to break into business

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Ian Joseph Neunz, 33, was arrested yesterday afternoon and charged with attempted burglary, possession of burglary tools, and resisting arrest without violence after allegedly trying to break into a back bay at Trane Supply.

An Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy responded at 2:48 p.m. on Saturday to a call about a man trying to break into a back bay door at the business on SW 35th Drive. The caller, who worked for a nearby business, said the man had a “bar hook with a triangle handle” wedged under the door. The deputy reportedly found Neunz near the loading bay door at Trane Supply, pacing and yelling. When Neunz saw the deputy, he allegedly jumped the fence. When the deputy ordered him to place his hands on the fence, he allegedly backed up and then ran. Neunz was apprehended after a foot chase by multiple deputies.

The deputy reported that he found a metal bar with a hook on one end and a triangle on the other end, leaning against the door of the business.

Post Miranda, Neunz reportedly admitted that he’d had the metal bar in his possession and that he’d found it near the business.

Neunz also had a warrant for property damage under $200; bail information is unavailable on weekends.

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. 

  • 👉🏼👉🏾👉🏿
    Every jail inmate should be given a multiple choice question, and pick one answer:

    “You, a Gainesville resident must learn to:

    a. Flip houses or burgers
    or
    b. Show to work on time
    or
    c. Leave town ASAP”

    🙏🏻🙏🏾🙏🏿

    • He’s not a Gainesville resident. He’s another stray that someone fed on a corner somewhere.

  • For you people with your critical comments and information about that man, he is my son and a homeless veteran. Maybe if the VA and Navy did their job addressing substance use and PTSD, many homeless veterans wouldn’t resort to criminal activities to eat food, find housing, and feed their addictions. May the first person who is perfect, throw the first stone at my son and me. I bet you people didn’t even serve in the military like we did. ☠️

    • First off since I am familiar with the V.A. and PTSD. PTSD is a serious issue for vets. But PTSD is not a excuse to break the law. As far as being homeless is it ths choice of your son? The VA does offer programs to homeless vets to have affordable housing but you must play by their rules as far as treatment for disorders are concerned. Best of luck. If he needs the help contact the VA yourself.

    • Alicia, if you can, please request that he be sentenced to Metamorphosis. It is the long term county funded therapeutic community. He will re-learn how to live without drugs there and be introduced to the local recovery community. We have a lot of vets that are doing very well in Gainesville in the recovery community and they support each other immensely. I wish you the best.

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