Staff report
ALACHUA, Fla. – A dramatic car chase led to the arrest of 44-year-old Homer Wiggins Jr. from St. Cloud, Florida. The pursuit, sparked by allegations of theft, stretched from Alachua to a busy Walmart in Gainesville’s northwest, where Wiggins was charged with the theft of a firearm and other belongings from a parked vehicle on a rural property.
The incident traces back to July 25 when a resident along County Road 1491, north of Alachua, reported the burglary of his truck. The victim noted that his wallet, a pistol, and various ammunition had been taken from the vehicle.
In the early hours of July 26, an officer with the Alachua Police Department observed a vehicle rapidly closing in from behind, clocking speeds over 90 mph in a zone restricted to 60 mph. The officer maneuvered to follow the erratic vehicle, which veered into the bicycle lane. Attempts to pull the car over went unanswered as it sped up to 98 mph, prompting the officer to execute a tactical maneuver known as a Pursuit Intervention Technique (PIT) to halt the vehicle at the 6300 block of NW 13th Street.
In custody was Graham Scott Foster, a 43-year-old from Gainesville. Officers noted his failure in field sobriety tests and recorded breathalyzer results of 0.182 and 0.191 g/210L. Consequently, Foster was charged with multiple offenses, including evading police with active lights and sirens, driving under the influence, and reckless driving.
A Gainesville Police Department officer who was assisting with the incident reported that Wiggins, the passenger in the car, leaned over to the driver’s side of the vehicle before getting out. Officers reportedly found the stolen handgun in plain view on the driver’s seat.
Post Miranda, Wiggins reportedly denied knowing anything about the stolen gun.
Wiggins was transported to a local hospital, and an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy interviewed him at the hospital. Wiggins reportedly said the gun was not his and then asked for a lawyer. At one point, Wiggins reportedly told the deputy he wasn’t stupid and knows he is a convicted felon who cannot possess firearms.
Wiggins has been charged with armed burglary of a vehicle, two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon (one from Alachua Police Department and one from Alachua County Sheriff’s Office), and grand theft of a firearm. He has three felony convictions (one violent) and 11 misdemeanor convictions (one violent); he has served one state prison sentence and was released on April 22, 2026. He is on pre-trial release in Seminole County for petit theft. Judge Meshon Rawls set bail at $400,000.
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.