Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Michael Gene Hunt, 36, was arrested yesterday after allegedly stealing a pair of boots priced at $249.99 from Boot Barn.

A Gainesville Police Department officer responded to a call from the store manager at Boot Barn, 3638 SW Archer Road, at about 1:23 p.m. on December 27. The manager said Hunt entered the store, grabbed a pair of boots, and ran from the store. A security camera near the front door reportedly caught a picture of the suspect.

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The officer sent the picture to other officers, and two officers provided his identity; one officer said he’d had contact with Hunt earlier the same day. Hunt was arrested at 3501 SW Archer Road at 9:53 p.m. last night.

Hunt, who is described as homeless in court documents, has been charged with a third or subsequent offense of petit theft. He is a registered career offender who has two previous convictions for petit theft and served a 15-year prison sentence for attempted carjacking; he was released in August 2022. Judge Susan Miller-Jones 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.