Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Richard Allen Warren, 39, was arrested last night and charged with theft of a stop sign, a felony, after allegedly pulling a stop sign from the ground at 1400 NE 8th Avenue.

Post Miranda, Warren reportedly said he was trying to start a rental scooter, and the tools he had were too weak to pry open the battery compartment. He said he thought it was a stop sign for a private road and not owned by the City, so it was okay for him to remove it and use it.

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Warren has juvenile criminal convictions and two violent adult felony convictions. Judge Thomas Jaworski set bail at $1,000.

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.