Just hours after a new Walmart Supercenter opened Friday, Gainesville Police arrested a man for shoplifting.
Police charged Charles R. J. Jackson, 21, of 1055 SW 62nd Blvd., with petit theft, according to a GPD arrest report.
The incident started at about 3:30 p.m. when Jackson walked into the Walmart, located in the 5700 block of Northwest 34th Boulevard, according to the report, and took an MP3 player, priced at $79.38, from a shelf.
A loss prevention officer saw Jackson take the MP3 player and go into a bathroom. A few minutes later, Jackson walked out of the bathroom toward the exit, according to the report.
The officer found the MP3 player’s packaging in a trash can, according to the report. Loss prevention staff stopped Jackson before he left the store, and officers later arrested him.
During questioning with police, Jackson said he stole the MP3 player because he didn’t have enough money to pay for it. Jackson added he wanted to give it to his little brother.
Police booked Jackson into the Alachua County Jail just after 4 p.m. Friday with a $10,000 bond. He was later released at about 4:30 p.m. Sunday.
Contact Kathryn Varn at kvarn@alligator.org.
