By Staff

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A 34-year-old man, Reid William Crosby, was taken into custody yesterday following allegations of breaking into a vehicle, stealing a garage door opener, and unlawfully entering a residence. The homeowner confronted Crosby with a firearm, prompting his escape. His identity was later confirmed when his mother visited the scene, explaining that Crosby’s phone signal was being tracked to the location.

In the early morning hours of December 30, around 4:20 a.m., police officers from the Gainesville Police Department responded to an incident near the intersection of NW 39th Avenue and NW 13th Street. The homeowner reported being awakened by unfamiliar noises and noticed a light coming from the kitchen. Realizing he was supposed to be alone, he armed himself with a pistol and went to investigate, discovering an unknown individual in his kitchen.

The homeowner questioned the intruder, asking his identity, reasons for being in the house, and his means of entry. The man, identified as Crosby, was found holding a hammer and clutching a pair of rubber gloves and rags, items reportedly taken from the homeowner’s garage. Upon seeing the gun, Crosby put down the hammer and claimed to be disoriented, saying he was fleeing from someone who had threatened him.

Escorting Crosby at gunpoint to the garage, the homeowner noticed the garage door was open. Crosby reiterated his story about being chased and requested the homeowner to contact the police. The homeowner retreated back into his house, securing the door, and called 911. However, while he was inside, Crosby managed to leave the premises, and the arriving officers were unable to locate him at that time.

Officers determined that the man had burglarized the victim’s vehicle, which was parked outside the garage and had inadvertently been left unlocked. When the man entered the vehicle, he took items from the center console and the glove compartment and put them on the seats; the paneling below the steering wheel had also been removed in an apparent attempt to start the vehicle. However, the man apparently found the garage door opener, used it to open the garage door, and entered the house through a door inside the garage. The victim demonstrated to an officer that his garage door is unusually quiet, which is why he didn’t wake up when the garage door opened.

Officers determined that the man had gone through numerous drawers and cabinets in the garage, eventually picking up a hammer, a glove, and rags. The victim showed officers where cabinets and drawers were left open.

Later on the morning of December 30, Crosby’s mother showed up at the victim’s house and said her son’s phone was pinging in the back yard; the victim reported that an e-bike, backpack, and phone were found in his back yard and Crosby’s mother apologized for her son’s actions.

Later in the day, Crosby reportedly returned to the victim’s home, the victim contacted law enforcement, and officers arrived and transported Crosby to GPD headquarters for questioning.

Post Miranda, Crosby reportedly admitted that he had entered the victim’s vehicle and home after leaving a nearby bar. He said he was threatened by two people at the bar and fled the bar on his e-bike, eventually ending up on the road leading to the victim’s home, where he “hid” from the people chasing him.

Crosby reportedly said he has a concussion and had blacked out during the incident. When he said he didn’t know whether he was still being chased when he got to the victim’s home, the officer pointed out that if he was comfortable enough to spend time searching the victim’s vehicle, he was clearly not “being chased.” The officer reported that Crosby blamed “complete amnesia” several times and said, “I don’t know why I made any of these decisions. There was an empty space. There was no thought.”

Regarding what he was looking for in the garage, Crosby reportedly said, “I don’t know what I was picking up or why… I didn’t know what I was looking for in his [vehicle]… I didn’t know why I was doing it, I had complete amnesia.” Crosby reportedly speculated that someone may have put something in his drink at the bar.

Crosby reportedly mentioned a lack of sleep, “amnesia,” and potential mental health problems as contributing factors and agreed that he needed a mental health evaluation. He said he had not committed a crime in a long time, could not explain why he had done it, and said again that he had “complete amnesia.” He said that when his mother spoke with the victim and then spoke with him, that “triggered his memory,” and he remembered more about the incident.

Crosby has been charged with burglary of an occupied dwelling and burglary of a vehicle. He has 14 felony convictions (non-violent) and three misdemeanor convictions (non-violent) but no convictions since 2012; he served a two-year state prison sentence for 14 counts of burglary and grand theft and was released in 2015. Judge Adam Lee set bail at $100,000 and ordered a mental health evaluation.

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.