Man on probation charged with breaking into vacant apartment, stealing powered wheelchair

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Jeremiah Hosea Brown, Sr., 42, was arrested yesterday and charged with burglary of an unoccupied structure, grand theft, and dealing in stolen property after allegedly breaking into the apartment of a woman who is in a nursing home, stealing her powered wheelchair, and trying to sell it.

At about 10:56 a.m. yesterday, an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy responded to Tower Village after a resident reported that an extension cord was running into the window of an apartment that was supposed to be vacant because the owner has been in a nursing home since July.

A neighbor of the victim said she had a key to the apartment and had recently locked the door after checking the apartment; however, the door was unlocked when the deputy checked it.

The deputy reported that the name “Country” came up during the investigation, and he knew that Brown goes by “Country.” Brown also lives with his mother in the apartment that was providing power to the vacant apartment via the extension cord.

The deputy went to a healthcare facility to speak with the owner of the vacant apartment; she reportedly said that the power had been shut off and that nobody should be in the apartment except the neighbor who had the key. She mentioned that her powered wheelchair should be in the apartment.

Other deputies interviewed neighbors who said they had seen Brown pushing the wheelchair behind his apartment; the wheelchair was reportedly found under a tarp in the woods behind his apartment. The deputies also learned that the extension cord originated in Brown’s bedroom and found evidence that people had been living in the vacant apartment.

Deputies also spoke with a woman who reportedly said Brown had offered to sell her the wheelchair for $250, claiming he was selling it for a friend. When she indicated that she was suspicious of the circumstances and decided not to buy it, she said he reduced the price to $150 before leaving.

Brown has eight felony convictions (one violent) and 12 misdemeanor convictions (one violent). He has served three state prison sentences, with his most recent release in June 2022. He is currently on probation for possession of a controlled substance.

Judge Walter Green set bail at $30,000.

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.