Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Jonathan Stephen King, 36, was arrested yesterday after allegedly trying to steal almost $1,800 in merchandise from Walmart.

At about 10:59 a.m. on July 7, a Gainesville Police Department officer responded to Walmart (1800 NE 12th Avenue), where the Loss Prevention Officer said King had passed all points of sale with $1,791.80 in merchandise without making any attempts to pay; he said King ditched the stolen merchandise when confronted by store security.

The officer reported that King made a spontaneous statement that he “was trying to steal a whole bunch of stuff from Walmart, but they weren’t letting me, so I left.”

The officer reported that the incident was clearly captured on the store’s surveillance cameras.

King has been charged with grand theft. He has two felony convictions (non-violent) and 19 misdemeanor convictions (one violent); 13 of the convictions are for trespassing violations in Alachua County in the past 2.5 years. He was last arrested on June 27, 2025 and charged with trespassing and resisting an officer without violence; he was released on his own recognizance on June 29. Judge William Davis set bail at $15,000 on the new charge.

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.