Press release from Alachua Police Department

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Alachua Police Department is seeking help from the public in identifying the suspect in an armed robbery Wednesday night at the Marathon Gas Station at U.S. Hwy 441 and NW 43rd Street.

On Wednesday, December 18, 2024, at 10:50 p.m., an unknown black male entered the Marathon Gas Station (9600 NW 13th Street) and presented a firearm to the store clerk. The clerk escaped the building through the back door, but the suspect chased after him, stopping him by placing the firearm to the clerk’s back. The suspect forced the clerk to return to the store, where he demanded money from the till and lottery tickets.

The clerk was able to activate the silent panic alarm, but the suspect noticed and then fled the gas station. He escaped toward a roadway behind the gas station. Law enforcement discovered fresh tire tracks in the area, suggesting the suspect fled in an unknown vehicle after being tracked by a K-9 unit.

The suspect is described as a light-skinned black male, approximately 6’0” tall, with a slender build. He was wearing a black Reebok sweater with white writing and light-colored, soiled shoes. The suspect also had a mask over his face, resembling a medical face covering.

If you have any information, please contact the Alachua Police Department at 386-462-1396 or Alachua County Crime Stoppers Inc anonymously at 352-372-7867 or via their website. Anonymous tips can also be submitted through our website at or via our mobile phone app.