Melrose man arrested for fleeing from deputy in stolen car

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Louis Elmer Platt V, 36, of Melrose, was arrested early this morning on a warrant for fleeing from a deputy in a stolen Mustang and shoplifting unknown items from the convenience store where the deputy first found the car.

At about 2:35 a.m. on February 18, an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy received a notification that a stolen car was nearby and found the gray Ford Mustang, which had been stolen in Pasco County, at the Exxon station at 3960 SW Archer Road. The deputy reported that a man and woman got into the car and then the man drove the Mustang north on SW 40th Boulevard. The deputy activated his lights and siren as the Mustang pulled into the Extended Stay at 3600 SW 42nd Street, but he reported that the Mustang rolled through the parking lot and back out onto SW 42nd Street, where it accelerated away from the deputy, running a red light. The deputy discontinued the pursuit.

The deputy returned to the Exxon, spoke to the clerk, and watched surveillance video from the store. The video reportedly showed a man, later identified as Platt, entering the store with a woman; the woman has been identified and the report says she was charged with conspiracy to commit a misdemeanor, but no charges are listed under her name in Alachua County’s court system. The deputy reported that the woman took a donut and a brownie, valued at $4.38, and gave them to Platt, who hid them in his jacket, took more items, and left without paying. The deputy reported that the items taken by Platt could not be seen on the video, so the value of the stolen items is unknown.

Platt was charged with fleeing with lights and sirens active, driving without a valid license with a previous conviction, shoplifting, and conspiracy to commit a misdemeanor. A warrant for his arrest was issued on March 19, and at about 1:46 a.m. on March 23, the same deputy located Platt at Extended Stay and knocked on the door of his room. When Platt came out of the room, deputies told him he was under arrest, and he allegedly tensed his arms, said there was no warrant, and resisted being placed in handcuffs. Deputies took him to the ground and arrested him, adding a charge of resisting an officer without violence.

As of Platt’s last arrest here in May 2024, he had three felony convictions (none violent) and three misdemeanor convictions and was facing at least one other case in Clay County; he is currently facing at least a stolen vehicle charge from Pasco County. In 2016, he was charged with the federal crimes of possessing and selling a machine gun and sentenced to three years in federal prison, followed by three years of probation; he was arrested in 2020 for violating probation and sentenced to six months in federal prison.

Judge Adam Lee set bail at $95,000.

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.