Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Chadrick Rodell Smith Sr., aged 54, was taken into custody yesterday following accusations of stealing an e-bike on the University of Florida (UF) campus in July. The arresting officer disclosed that Smith confessed to taking more than 30 bicycles over the past two years.
The incident occurred around 5:20 p.m. on July 19, when the owner secured her e-bike at a Murphree Hall bike rack using a cable lock. Surveillance footage reportedly captures Smith arriving on a different bike approximately 15 minutes later. After parking next to the e-bike, he examines it for roughly one minute before moving to another bike, which he temporarily removes from the rack before returning it shortly afterwards.
Smith is then seen apparently scrutinizing the bikes once again before focusing on the e-bike in question. He allegedly spends about a minute undoing the cable lock and leaving the scene with the stolen e-bike.
A University of Florida Police Department (UFPD) officer who responded to the theft has linked Smith to three other cases and has frequently interviewed him at the jail. According to the officer, Smith has confessed to the theft of over 30 bicycles from both the UF campus and the greater Gainesville area within a span of two years.
Smith was trespassed from all UF and UF Health Shands properties in June 2025 for a period of three years.
At about 7:09 p.m. on August 6, a UFPD officer saw Smith enter UF Health Shands and followed him; when the officer spoke with Smith, he reportedly said he knew he was trespassed from the property and was there to use a telephone.
When asked about some work gloves and tools in his possession, Smith reportedly said he had not used the items for anything “yet.”
Smith has been charged with grand theft and two counts of trespassing after a warning. He has 24 felony convictions (non-violent) and 23 misdemeanor convictions (three violent); he has served six state prison sentences, with his most recent release on June 21, 2026. Senior Judge Bo Bayer set bail at $150,000.
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.