Homeless man charged with demanding cash at gunpoint after victims’ car was rammed
Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Steven Blake Shoemaker, 32, was arrested early this morning after allegedly robbing two people at gunpoint after their car was rammed by the unknown driver of a truck he was allegedly riding in.
At about 12:50 a.m. on Sunday, an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy responded to the 15800 block of NE 21st Street regarding an armed disturbance. The two victims reported that they were driving behind a pickup truck when the unknown driver of the pickup truck made a U-turn in order to deliberately ram their car. They reported that the truck rammed their car numerous times until the car was disabled in a ditch.
The victims reported that Shoemaker, a passenger in the truck, got out of the truck and aimed a firearm into their car, yelling at them to give him their cash, phones, and purse. He allegedly stole about $300 cash from the victims, and the victims reported that they were in fear for their lives.
The deputy reported that the car was badly damaged.
Shoemaker was later reportedly found driving the truck, which had obvious front-end damage. He reportedly had $190 cash in his pocket.
Post Miranda, Shoemaker reportedly denied involvement in the incident but had no explanation for the damage to the pickup truck. His driver’s license was revoked in 2015, and he reportedly admitted to driving without a valid license.
Shoemaker, who is listed as homeless on the arrest affidavit, has been charged with two counts of armed robbery, two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, property damage over $1,000, and a second or subsequent offense of driving without a valid license. Shoemaker has a juvenile criminal history, three felony convictions (none violent), and five misdemeanor convictions (two violent). Judge Thomas Jaworski set bail at $335,000.
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.
Have all his past convictions etc been here locally? If so, he’s not very bright for staying here so long. But most convicts aren’t very smart, are they?
Soon I hope the city will not have the money to fund market place and start seeing a decline in homeless in the area
This POS will steal the shoe laces off your shoes lmao pun intended. Stay away from drugs kids!
No love for these legit bums. A man is always a bum because of their choices to remain bums. He’ll be crying in jail and mooching commissary..
He hasn’t met his equalizer yet.
Another one suffering from trailer park trash syndrome they’ll do anything for another hit of broken windows!
His father probably left his mom in their trailer park!! He’s only doing what he was raised to do/be TRAILER PARK TRASH!!! GIVE HIM THE DEATH PENALTY!!! WE DONT NEED THUGS LIKE THAT ON THE STREETS OF GAINESVILLE
Trailer parks seem to be alot safer than the “HOOD”
Who would ever have expected something like this to happen? Oh wait, it happened in Gainesville. Since the city commissioners “listen” to us, who’s going to have to get killed by a homeless person before they turn the lights off?
If the victims are able, (legally), I would be willing to bet they’ll be prepared if something like this happens in the future.
Could have turned out both worse and better. Worse if they would have been shot. Better if they could have saved some taxpayers’ funds.
This would have ended differently if the people in the vehicle were properly prepared to defend themselves.