Report by Staff

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Keith Daron Pitts, aged 40, was taken into custody yesterday following accusations of stealing purses worth $550 from a Belk store.

On the afternoon of November 1 at approximately 4:54 p.m., a Belk employee at the location on 6323 West Newberry Road noticed a man carrying several purses and exiting the store without making a purchase. The employee immediately alerted a manager, who then informed a Gainesville Police Department (GPD) officer present at the scene. The total value of the purses was calculated at $550.36.

Meanwhile, another eyewitness informed the officer of a man hiding behind a trailer in the Oaks Mall parking area. The officer subsequently observed a man sprinting across SW 62nd Boulevard. Multiple officers from the GPD responded to the situation and successfully located Pitts in the vicinity of the 500 block of NW 60th Street. The Belk employee identified Pitts as the individual responsible for the theft. The stolen purses were found discarded near the trailer.

Surveillance footage reportedly captured Pitts leaving the store with the purses without making any payment.

Post Miranda, Pitts reportedly admitted that he had taken the purses out of frustration.

Pitts, whose address is listed as GRACE Marketplace, has been charged with felony petit theft with two or more previous convictions. He has 17 felony convictions (two violent) and 19 misdemeanor convictions (one violent) and has served three state prison sentences, with his most recent release in 2022. Judge Meshon Rawls set bail at $20,000.

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.