Pair arrested for stealing merchandise from Walmart, running from police

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Jack Caverly Mason II, 61, and Tyson Lane McCommis, 22, were arrested yesterday for allegedly trying to steal over $750 in merchandise from the northeast Walmart and then running from police officers.

At about 9:45 a.m. on March 22, Mason and McCommis allegedly entered Walmart (1800 NE 12th Avenue), selected items valued at $756.18, and passed all points of sale without paying. When the store’s Loss Prevention Officer (LPO) tried to stop them, they reportedly ignored him and kept walking, leaving the items inside the store.

The two men reportedly got into a car driven by Mason; the first Gainesville Police Department officer to arrive noted that McCommis caught his attention in the parking lot because he was walking quickly and he matched the clothing description given to the call-taker.

After the LPO pointed to the same car, the officer activated his lights and sirens, and Mason eventually stopped the vehicle in the parking lot. McCommis allegedly got out of the car, said “See ya,” and ran away from officers into the Cedar Grove neighborhood before being apprehended. A witness told an officer that McCommis dropped something while he was running, and officers reportedly recovered a clear glass pipe with a white powder residue.

Although the first officer told Mason that he was not free to leave, Mason allegedly got back into the driver’s seat of the car and drove away while that officer was pursuing McCommis. Mason was reportedly found about 10 minutes later, standing outside the car in the 2300 block of SE 9th Avenue.

Post Miranda, Mason reportedly said that he knew he was detained, but he got back into the vehicle and drove away when the officer chased McCommis because he was scared. He also admitted to working with McCommis as they passed all points of sale with the items at Walmart.

Post Miranda, McCommis reportedly said he ran because he’s afraid of law enforcement officers and his “flght or flight” response told him to run. He said he had only known Mason for about one day and he knew Mason was stealing items from Walmart, but he agreed to stay because he was afraid. He said Mason told him he needed help making a “run” at Walmart, and he did not know what Mason meant but agreed to come along anyway. He said Mason made him smoke “crack” earlier in the day and he was told it was “mop,” but after he smoked it, he realized it was something else.

Mason has been charged with grand theft and attempting to elude a police officer, and he was also booked on two probation violations. He has two felony convictions (non-violent) and six misdemeanor convictions (non-violent), and he is on probation in two cases involving burglary and grand theft. Judge Meshon Rawls ordered him held without bail until the probation violations are resolved, and she set bail at $65,000 on the new charges.

McCommis has been charged with petit theft with two or more previous convictions, possession of drug paraphernalia, and resisting an officer without violence. He has five misdemeanor convictions (non-violent); he was recently assigned to Mental Health Court in two petit theft cases, but he was unsuccessfully discharged from his program for having alcohol on the campus. He was re-arrested, adjudicated guilty after entering a plea, and fined in both cases; he was released from the Alachua County Jail on March 10. Judge Rawls set bail at $12,000 on the new charges.

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.