Report by Staff
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In the early hours today, 66-year-old Steven J. Hardwick was taken into custody following accusations of hurling a concrete block through the glass entryway of the Ironwood Golf Course Pro Shop.
Responding to an alarm at approximately 9:30 p.m. on August 20, a Gainesville Police officer arrived at the City-owned golf location on 2100 NE 39th Avenue, only to discover the glass door had been smashed, with a concrete block found just inside.
Surveillance footage, as noted by the officer, captured an elderly white male approaching the shop’s rear entrance. The video showed him picking up a concrete block and forcefully throwing it against the door, breaking the glass. After entering the premises briefly, he exited and headed east.
Upon reviewing the video, the officer recognized that the man resembled the description in a recent alert identifying Hardwick as a “prolific burglar,” who had been recently spotted around the Butler Plaza region.
The officer began canvassing the area around Ironwood and found Hardwick in the 1200 block of NE Waldo Road at about 1:35 a.m. The officer reported that Hardwick was wearing the same clothing that was seen on the video at Ironwood.
Hardwick reportedly said he had been dropped off in Gainesville at about 1 a.m. and had not been in Gainesville in the past week.
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Post Miranda, Hardwick reportedly said again that he had not been in Gainesville during the past week. After the officer showed him the photo from Butler Plaza on August 17, Hardwick reportedly confirmed he was the man in the photo and changed his statement to say he had panhandled in Gainesville a few days ago. However, he continued to say that he had been dropped off at the nearby Texaco station at about 1 a.m. by a stranger who drove him from Bradford County and that he had not gone anywhere near Ironwood Golf Course. When the officer showed him the video from the Pro Shop, Hardwick said he was not the man in the video.
The officer noted that Hardwick was wearing the same clothes in the Butler Plaza photo that he was wearing when the officer encountered him, and Hardwick said he had been wearing the same clothes for about three days.
Hardwick reportedly said he was trying to walk to St. Francis House. After further questioning, he reportedly said he did not remember what had happened and that he was just trying to get to St. Francis House. St. Francis House’s downtown shelter closed in April.
Hardwick has been charged with burglary of an unoccupied structure and felony property damage. He has 26 felony convictions (non-violent) and seven misdemeanor convictions (one violent), and he has served 14 state prison sentences, with his most recent release in 2017. Judge Joy Danne set bail at $100,000.
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.