Man on pre-trial release arrested for stealing snakes

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Douglas Scott Sears, 55, was arrested early this morning on two warrants, one for stealing two snakes from a reptile store and one for failing to appear at a hearing on charges from a previous arrest.

Sears was arrested in December 2023 for scooter theft and possession of drugs with intent to sell; he was released on bail and failed to appear at a hearing on that case on November 4, and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

At about 6:23 p.m. on August 15, 2024, a Gainesville Police Department officer responded to Florida Man Reptiles (3315 SW Archer Road), where a store representative said a man entered the store, walked over to a glass display case, damaged the case while opening it, took two Green Tree Python snakes, and put them in his backpack before leaving the store. The snakes were valued at $900 each.

The store owner posted surveillance video of the incident on Facebook and received multiple responses that provided Sears’s name and his employment at the Chili’s nearby.

The officer went to Chili’s and learned that Sears was supposed to be in rehab and was on leave from work. However, at 7:30 p.m. on August 15, about an hour after the incident at the reptile store, Sears showed up at the restaurant even though he was not scheduled to work.

The officer reported that the kitchen manager at Chili’s suspected Sears of stealing alcohol from the restaurant and asked to search his backpack; Sears reportedly agreed, and the kitchen manager said he saw two snakes, a handgun, and a bottle of alcohol in the backpack. He said Sears took the backpack and left the restaurant.

In January 2024, a sworn complaint was filed that charged Davis with stealing a scooter; the officer noted that Sears could be seen riding the scooter (identified by its tag) on traffic cameras in early December, and nobody else was seen riding it. However, the charge was later dropped.

Sears has been charged with grand theft and property damage. As of his 2023 arrest, he had seven felony convictions (one violent) and 20 misdemeanor convictions (one violent). He has served three state prison sentences, with his most recent release in 2021. Judge William Davis set bail for failing to appear at $75,000 and for the new charges at $35,000.

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.