Man arrested in beating/robbery at Pine Ridge Apartments

Press release from Gainesville Police Department

On May 25th, 2020 at 11:17 p.m., GPD officers responded to a report of an unconscious male in the 6100 block of NW 23rd Terr, Pine Ridge Apartments. Further investigation revealed that a 66-year-old male victim was severely beaten and robbed of various items. Members of the community immediately came forward and helped detectives identify a potential suspect, Arealeus Morris, a 29-year-old black male. Continued interviews by detectives confirmed Morris as the person who beat the victim. Morris has a history of robbery and was recently released from prison in April of this year, after serving 15 years.

Detectives obtained an arrest warrant, and the Criminal Intelligence Unit, ASO Warrants Division, and U.S. Marshalls located Morris today at 11:00 a.m. at his residence. He was taken into custody and interviewed. Post-Miranda, Morris admitted to the confrontation with the victim and to attempting to take drugs from the victim while he was unconscious. Morris was later booked into the Alachua County Jail.

Detectives are still investigating Morris’s travels and associates during and after the incident and are asking the public for any additional information. Contact Det. J. Rappa at 352-393-7684, or you can remain anonymous by reporting the information to Crime Stoppers at 352-372-STOP.