Three arrested in Wal-Mart robberies
Police arrested three Gainesville residents Monday afternoon after authorities said the group coordinated a string of robberies over the past month.
At about 2:45 p.m. Saturday, Michael Anthony Jones, 24, robbed the Wal-Mart on Northwest 23rd Street and then ran from security, according to a police report.
Moments earlier, Jones and two accomplices stole multiple products from the hardware section, the report states.
As Jones made his escape, Julius Lee Jones and Essie Katina Cobb, both 43, climbed into a car and drove away, according to the report.
A loss-prevention employee at the store took a photo of the car’s license plate and later gave it to police, according to the report.
Once officers found all three suspects, security identified them as the suspects in Saturday’s theft, the report states.
The employee told police the group was known to steal from one Wal-Mart and return the items to another Wal-Mart, according to the report.
The suspects have stolen more than $300 worth of property from both stores, according to the report.
Police arrested the group on charges of fraud, larceny and public order conspiracy to commit a felony. Authorities took them to the Alachua County Jail where, as of press time, Michael Jones remains in lieu of a $112,000 bond, and Julius Jones and Cobb remain in lieu of $130,000 bonds.
Gainesville man molests children, police say
Police arrested a Gainesville man early Monday morning after they said he brought three children to a vacant apartment and asked them to undress.
At about 3 a.m. Monday, Gabriel Leonard Tillman, 31, took off his clothes in front of the children and asked a 12-year-old to touch his penis, according to a police report.
Tillman brought the children, two girls and one boy, to a vacant apartment. Two of the children were 11 years old, and the other was 12 years old, according to the report.
Once there, he tried to take off the kids’ clothes. When they refused, Tillman asked the older girl to perform sexual acts.
When the girl refused again, Tillman began to yell obscenities at the children. The boy then ran out of the apartment and went home, and Tillman let the girls sleep, according to the report.
After police arrived and searched the man’s phone, they found a video of the younger girl and Tillman involved in lewd behavior, according to the report.
The phone number Tillman gave police leads to a barber shop. As of press time, the business’ Facebook page features photos of Tillman cutting hair, sometimes on a child.
Police arrested Tillman on charges of attempted sexual battery on a victim younger than 12 years old, lewd and lascivious conduct, lewd and lascivious molestation and possession of a photograph of a child performing sexual acts.
Authorities took him to the Alachua County Jail where he remains, as of press time, in lieu of a $1.35 million bond.
Former NFL, UF football player arrested
Florida Highway Patrol arrested a former Gator football and NFL player in Sumter County on Friday.
At about 3 p.m. Friday, Derrick Jabar Gaffney, 35, drove southbound on Interstate 75 with illegally tinted windows, Sgt. Steve Gaskins, an FHP spokesman, wrote in an email.
Gaffney also swerved between lanes in his black Ford F-250 pickup truck, Gaskins wrote.
When patrollers stopped Gaffney, they smelled the strong odor of burnt marijuana. They later found 6.5 grams of weed inside Gaffney’s truck, according to the email.
Gaffney’s truck had several hidden “after-market” compartments built into it, which earned him charges of possessing drug paraphernalia, according to the email.
Throughout a 10-year professional career, Gaffney played for the Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots and the Washington Redskins.
In 2000, while he played for UF’s football team, Gaffney received 10 charges for felony theft and was never found guilty, according to Alachua County court records. He was kicked off the team and later reinstated.
Authorities arrested Gaffney on misdemeanor charges of possessing under 20 grams of marijuana and possessing drug paraphernalia, and a felony charge of possessing drug paraphernalia.
Gaffney was taken to the Sumter County Jail where he was released on a $7,000 bond, according to the email.
Contact Martin Vassolo at mvassolo@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @martindvassolo.
