By Staff Writer

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Authorities have taken 38-year-old Quinnetta Lashara Quinn into custody after she allegedly used pepper spray on a Walmart employee who attempted to prevent her from shoplifting a cart full of items last November.

According to a report from the Gainesville Police Department, the incident occurred at 7:50 p.m. on November 20. A Walmart Loss Prevention Officer (LPO) at the northwest location on 5700 NW 23rd Street claimed that a woman attempted to exit the store with a cart loaded with stolen goods. When the LPO tried to intervene, the woman allegedly sprayed the officer in the face with pepper spray three times. During a struggle over the cart, the woman fled the store, abandoning the merchandise, and entered a van that was waiting outside.

The LPO managed to capture a photograph of the van and its license plate.

Footage from Walmart’s surveillance cameras reportedly captured the woman entering the store at 7:26 p.m., selecting 16 pieces of clothing along with a loaf of bread, totaling $185 in value. She was seen pushing the cart past all checkout counters, attempting to leave without payment, when the LPO confronted her in the store’s front vestibule.

Surveillance video reportedly showed the woman walking toward the LPO with her hand raised and something in her hand.

The LPO said the woman told her, “You better not come over here… I’m going to spray you” and then sprayed her with pepper spray. The LPO said she tried to remove items from the cart, but the woman overpowered her and took the cart out of the store with a few items in it. However, the van drove away as soon as the woman got in, so she was not able to take the items from the cart; all of the items were recovered.

The detective identified the woman as Quinn using the tag on the van, pictures of her face, and her tattoos. The detective also found a photo of Quinn on Facebook in which she was wearing the same leopard print headband worn by the suspect.

Quinn has been charged with armed robbery (with a weapon other than a firearm) and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon; she is also facing a sworn complaint for burglary with battery, burglary of a vehicle, battery, and grand theft from a November 16 incident. She has seven felony convictions (two violent) and 18 misdemeanor convictions (two violent) and has served three state prison sentences, with her most recent release in 2022. A sworn complaint was also filed against her for a January 2024 incident in which she allegedly threatened four juveniles with a taser at a bus stop, but those charges were later dropped.

Judge Susan Miller-Jones ordered her held without bail pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s office to hold her without bail until trial; if the judge denies the motion, bail will be set at that hearing.

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.