Man on pre-trial release arrested for stealing flute worth $3k
Staff report
Updated on May 18
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Ali Denetrou Manuel, 34, was arrested yesterday and charged with stealing a sterling silver flute worth over $3,000. Manuel was released on bail from the Alachua County Jail on May 11 after being arrested on May 1 for domestic battery and stealing an iPad from his employer.
At about 6:35 p.m. on May 14, Manuel reportedly asked to look at a sterling silver flute, valued at $3,100, from a display case at 2nd & Charles (2601 NW 13th Street). A store employee handed the flute to Manuel, and he allegedly walked out of the store with it.
The responding Gainesville Police Department (GPD) officer learned that Manuel had also asked to see the flute on May 13, but an employee refused to take it out of the display case, and Manuel left empty-handed.
On May 16, a GPD detective learned that two people were trying to pawn a flute, and the detective reported that Manuel’s companion was at the counter, trying to pawn the flute, while Manuel was at the back of the store.
Both men were detained, and Manuel looked like the man in the surveillance video from 2nd & Charles, but the detective could not be sure it was the same person. The other man did not look like the man in the surveillance video; he refused to say where he got the flute, but the detective released him because he never completed the pawn transaction.
After checking Manuel for warrants, the detective released him, too, and recovered the flute.
The detective went to the address where Manuel claimed to live, and two witnesses confirmed he was the man in the surveillance video from 2nd & Charles and that he owned both sets of clothing shown in the videos.
A few minutes after speaking to the two witnesses, the detective found Manuel sitting on a bench near the Clarence Kelly Center, and when patrol vehicles arrived, Manuel allegedly ran but gave up after a foot chase of about 75 yards.
Post Miranda, Manuel reportedly denied stealing anything and tried to blame his husband and another man.
Manuel has been charged with grand theft. He has 18 felony convictions (non-violent) and five misdemeanor convictions (non-violent). He has been incarcerated twice, once for six terms of 10 years and eight terms of 5 years, all served concurrently, and once for six terms of 12 years and two terms of 5 years, all served concurrently; all of the charges were out of Seminole County, and he was most recently released in October 2024. He has been in Alachua County for about seven months. Judge James Colaw set bail at $50,000.
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.
Manuel to husband, ‘this blows!’
Husband, ‘That’s what happens when you go tootin’ on the wrong pipes.’
Why did he need to steal a 3,000 dollar flute,when he had his husband’s skin flute??????
Lawd
Why was he released after 10 days in jail? Why was he let out of Prison early ( twice) for his previous convictions.
So state lawyers can keep job security and judges get a new downtown courthouse. Why else?
Because the state prison system needs the bed space for new, more dangerous inmates. It’s well known in crime world if you pull federal time you will serve most, if not all, of your time while state time is usually, last I heard, about 20% and you’re out.
Tallahassee will NOT vote the funds needed to build, maintain/operate, and staff new facilities but will vote for tax cuts and sales tax exemptions for special groups they like.
He was released because of that silly little thing called the United States Constitution which prohibits pre-trial detention except in limited circumstances. That whole innocent until proven guilty thing that gets in the way of jailing people before they are convicted . . . .
Scummy ass ACLUSPLCDNC are destroying our once fair neighborly community.
Quote : “Manuel has been charged with grand theft. He has 18 felony convictions (non-violent) and five misdemeanor convictions (non-violent). He has been incarcerated twice, once for six terms of 10 years and eight terms of 5 years, all served concurrently, and once for six terms of 12 years and two terms of 5 years, all served concurrently; all of the charges were out of Seminole County, and he was most recently released in October 2024. He has been in Alachua County for about seven months.” 👹👺👿🤡💩
We need a state referendum for vetted citizen juries to take over the judicial branch. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
This town has always been like this… don’t know how long u been here! gainesville has never been quit or nice…
It wasn’t like this 50 years ago.
Or 40 years ago.
Not even 30 years ago.
What’s changed? Parenting, respect, responsibility, and leadership. Not necessarily in that order.
That’s not a skin flute Manuel
Colaw is a great judge, if you’re a criminal. Ain’t it great?
That’s hilarious. Colaw is the judge a defendant would least prefer to appear before.
Stay WOKE yall
Promote the employee who had the sense not to hand him the flute the first time. Tell homie “Show me the money.”
Ditto on the ‘usual’ suspects