Homeless man charged in three $500+ shoplifting incidents at two Walmart stores

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Christopher Alan Hendricks, 43, was arrested yesterday and charged in three $500+ shoplifting incidents at two local Walmart stores.

A Gainesville Police Department officer worked with a Walmart Loss Prevention Officer (LPO) to identify a suspect in two incidents in November at the Walmart at 1800 NE 12th Avenue.

On November 5, the LPO reported that Hendricks walked out of the store with a cart full of assorted items totaling $550. The LPO tried to stop him, but Hendricks allegedly fled with the items.

On November 12, the LPO reported that Hendricks left the store with two 10-person camping tents worth $518. The LPO reported that he told Hendricks to stop, and Hendricks dropped one tent but fled with the other tent.

Yesterday, Hendricks allegedly entered the northwest Walmart with a friend and put 19 items of make-up and camping gear, including tents and gas canisters, in a shopping cart. He allegedly left the store with the items and did not pay for them. The LPO tried to stop the pair, but they allegedly abandoned the shopping cart outside the store and fled in another friend’s car.

A Gainesville Police Department officer arrived, located the car, and detained the occupants. A search of Hendricks, incident to arrest, reportedly produced three packages of press-on nails, make-up, and eye lashes in his pockets. The LPO reportedly recovered $731 in stolen items.

Post Miranda, Hendricks reportedly said he put the camping gas canisters in his backpack and did not pay for them. Hendricks reportedly arrived in Gainesville about three months ago from Ohio, and officers initially booked him under the name he allegedly provided, which was Chad Hayes.

The friend, Desiré Griffin, was arrested on unrelated warrants for dealing in stolen property, grand theft, felony pawn fraud, and two failures to appear in other cases.

Hendricks has been charged with two counts of petit theft, providing false identification information to an officer, felony petit theft with two prior convictions, resisting a merchant’s use of an anti-shoplifting control device countermeasure, and engaging in a scheme to defraud. Judge George Wright set bail at $150,000.

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.