Staff report
HAWTHORNE, Fla. – Jimmy Lee Floyd, 37, found himself in legal trouble once again as he was apprehended yesterday on allegations of car theft. This arrest follows his previous legal issues, having last been detained on June 17, and subsequently receiving a three-year probation sentence on July 30.
The incident unfolded at around 2:20 p.m. on August 15 when a concerned car owner reported his vehicle missing. He had permitted a woman to borrow the car to drive Floyd home, but the vehicle failed to reappear for over six hours.
Authorities tracked the missing car to a residence in Hawthorne, where Floyd was found nearby. Despite standing close to the vehicle, Floyd denied any knowledge of it. Notably, deputies confirmed that Floyd did not reside at that location and was there under the pretext of performing yard work.
Floyd reportedly claimed his ID was inside the house. However, when deputies instructed him against entering the property due to safety concerns, Floyd allegedly took off through the residence. An initial taser deployment proved unsuccessful at the front entrance, but he was eventually subdued and arrested after another taser was used as he attempted to exit through a back door.
Post Miranda, Floyd reportedly admitted that he had driven the car to the property after arguing with the woman at a local gas station; he said she fled on foot and he knew where the keys were. The victim said that only the woman was authorized to drive the car. Floyd also reportedly admitted to possessing a crack pipe and said he ran so he would have time to break it and discard it.
The property owner reportedly said the car had not been at the residence before Floyd arrived to work on the yard; he also reportedly found the discarded crack pipe and gave it to a deputy.
Floyd has been charged with tampering with evidence, grand theft of a motor vehicle, resisting an officer without violence, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He has nine felony convictions (four violent) and seven misdemeanor convictions (two violent); he has served five state prison sentences, with his most recent release in April 2026. He was arrested on June 17 and sentenced to three years of probation after entering a plea of nolo contendere to burglary with battery.
Judge Gloria Walker set bail at $80,000.
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.