Homeless man on pre-trial release arrested for trying to steal almost $1,800 in merchandise from Walmart
Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Jonathan Stephen King, 36, was arrested yesterday after allegedly trying to steal almost $1,800 in merchandise from Walmart.
At about 10:59 a.m. on July 7, a Gainesville Police Department officer responded to Walmart (1800 NE 12th Avenue), where the Loss Prevention Officer said King had passed all points of sale with $1,791.80 in merchandise without making any attempts to pay; he said King ditched the stolen merchandise when confronted by store security.
The officer reported that King made a spontaneous statement that he “was trying to steal a whole bunch of stuff from Walmart, but they weren’t letting me, so I left.”
The officer reported that the incident was clearly captured on the store’s surveillance cameras.
King has been charged with grand theft. He has two felony convictions (non-violent) and 19 misdemeanor convictions (one violent); 13 of the convictions are for trespassing violations in Alachua County in the past 2.5 years. He was last arrested on June 27, 2025 and charged with trespassing and resisting an officer without violence; he was released on his own recognizance on June 29. Judge William Davis set bail at $15,000 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.
He’d still be recognizable even if he shaved his Irish hair and beard. Bout time for him to move on to another liberal, gay ass crime ridden town. Maybe not tho. He still has about a million more chances here.
I happen to love my liberal gay a** town, why don’t you go somewhere else and be hateful there? The state in enormous, you can go south where cities outwardly hate daily, or do nothing til the ivermectin poisoning catches up to you. Or can you not afford it cause you lost your snap benefits this week, right traitor?
That Pre-Crime Division I mentioned the other day would have prevented this from happening. Would have allowed law enforcement efforts to be focused on other more important things than having to deal with this idiot.
That being said, 21 violations/arrests in 30 months. Can’t help but wonder how many he didn’t get caught for. Safe to assume he’s not going to stop and he’s likely to hurt someone or he’ll be shot breaking into the wrong place. Best get rid of him now.
That many convictions, he should qualify for habitual offender status. Therefore he should get a home in a gated community with 3 hots and a cot. Free health care and free 24/7 state provided law enforcement.
Stretch em out on the gape rack. Used to work in the 16th-19 lth centuries. Time to reinstate.
For theft? You people care about property more than human beings, to me that means you are not one, more like a subhuman fascist.
I’ll keep repeating this. Type the word homeless into the search box above and you can see hundreds of thefts, rapes, robberies, and attacks going back years. What you never see is the city of Gainesville solving this problem.
Do that to any city in Florida and see the same thing. Wonder if the call is coming from inside the house? You don’t care tho, you’ll still make ignorant statements as that is all you know. Maybe get a hobby.
i’ve met him. he’s a nice lonely guy that is lost. he needs guidance
He needs guidance alright – straight out of Gainesville when he’s released.
At a minimum to Ward or Poe’s house. Eastman may claim he’ll take him, but he’s a liar too.
Nice, lonely guy that is lost? He is a 36-year-old man stealing $1,800 worth of merch from Walmart while on pre-trial release. He might be nice but he is a career criminal nonetheless. He should be locked away in a minimum security prison until he stops being “lost” (eye roll), detoxes, learns a trade and grows up.
And, for the record, I am a left-leaning “libtard.”
Not a single “libtard” uses that word. I know people who would punch you out for using it.
Also you are an obvious capitalist tool. You are not liberal, just another loser who cares about property over people.
I know what right wingers call Democrats and that’s why I put it in quotes. I can be a liberal and want law and order in my community. These things are not, or should not be, mutually exclusive. It isn’t that complicated.
So, gonna give him pre trial release again, cause he aint got no bail money
Most high-end expensive items in Walmart are locked up behind a glass case. His buggy must have been overflowing with merchandise at 1800 dollars’ worth. I guess this genius didn’t think they would notice him walking out with items in the cart halfway to the ceiling. This guy doesn’t need jail; he needs sent overseas to chop-chop city.
he tried to steal from walmart. big deal. people commenting here act like he tried to kill somebody. get a grip people
JC: come into my house while I’m sleeping and you’ll be DRT…no big deal. You’re an idiot.
He went into an open store, not some loser’s house to steal what, your hemorrhoid donut
Stealing may be a gateway crime. 🤔
You ask me being republican is a gateway to rape and pedophilia. Quacks like a duck, walks like a duck…lock up your kids.
If he weren’t being groomed by the courts for repeat offenses, he might have sense to leave a college town. No matter how tolerant they are here, he should be relocated after next jail stint.
ACLUSPLCDNC 💩👹👿🤡👺
Yet again, pretrial release
Revolving door justice. Turn them loose and let them do it all over again. Sigh….
Jail is the most expensive options you clowns and Gainesville is not the only city in America with a homeless problem – they all have it. Taking an idea from You voted, maybe he’s willing to lock this guy up in his garage, pay extra into a fund to cover the cost of jail, or more likely hypocritically play tough with other tax payers money
Taking an honest idea from myself…Hell no.
I pay funds already – they’re called taxes. The City is very inefficient at spending those in case you’ve forgotten.
Difference is, I’ll state it and not be some lying hypocrite about it and how it’s my responsibility to take care of those who are irresponsible, taken advantage of others’ generosity, and/or just too damn lazy to make something better of themselves, AND then close my eyes and do nothing. You defend them quite often, what’s holding you up? You have a family member in the legal profession, have you talked them into taking in a stray?
For the record, the homeless may be in other cities and towns but I don’t live there. Clean up your own backyard before working on someone else’s.
You voted, I’m sure you’re the only one here paying taxes and so no wonder you don’t think you’re a hypocrite for advocating the most expensive solution without being willing to cover the difference. Maybe you’ll get a tax cut however and we’ll be able to “clean up our own backyard” when you give it to the county jail or add some beds to your 2-car garage.
…🥱
You don’t have a 2 car garage?
You don’t have common sense?
Why doesn’t that surprise me.
I might have a little sympathy for this guy if he’d been stealing food or shampoo, toothpaste, etc. But with a basket worth $1,800 he was likely stealing things he could sell so he could buy alcohol or drugs.
Do the crime, do the time. I am tired of seeing people out on pre-trial release offending. Our justice system is a weak joke.