Man arrested on warrant after officer detains him for suspicious behavior

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Jason Richard Hartmann, 47, was arrested early this morning on a warrant after an officer stopped him for riding a bicycle near closed businesses while wearing surgical gloves.

At about 3:48 a.m. on November 30, a Gainesville Police Department officer detained Hartmann, who was riding a bicycle directly next to several closed businesses in Tower Square (5801 SW 75th Street). Hartmann was reportedly wearing heavy clothing and blue surgical gloves. The officer noted that a jewelry store in the plaza was recently burglarized.

Hartmann reportedly told the officer that he uses the plaza as a shortcut to his residence and that the gloves were to keep warm, although he acknowledged that they did not work.

The officer learned that Hartmann had an active warrant for stealing jewelry in two separate incidents at JC Penney at the Oaks Mall in February. Hartmann was arrested for drug possession on May 5, and a store representative called the police on May 14 to say he had identified Hartmann as the thief from his booking photo.

The officer reported that a search incident to arrest produced a syringe containing an unknown substance.

Post Miranda, Hartmann reportedly said he used the syringe to inject “speed” and had last used drugs about a month ago.

Hartmann has been charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, along with the warrant for two counts of theft. He has one felony conviction (non-violent) and three misdemeanor convictions (none violent). Judge Susan Miller-Jones set bail at $4,000 on the theft charges in a warrant she signed, and Judge Phillip Pena set bail at $6,000 on the drug paraphernalia 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.