Man arrested for stealing stop sign to open battery compartment on scooter

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Richard Allen Warren, 39, was arrested last night and charged with theft of a stop sign, a felony, after allegedly pulling a stop sign from the ground at 1400 NE 8th Avenue.

Post Miranda, Warren reportedly said he was trying to start a rental scooter, and the tools he had were too weak to pry open the battery compartment. He said he thought it was a stop sign for a private road and not owned by the City, so it was okay for him to remove it and use it.

Warren has juvenile criminal convictions and two violent adult felony convictions. Judge Thomas Jaworski set bail at $1,000.

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.