A Gainesville Zaxby’s worker robbed the store he worked at Oct. 21 and was arrested Thursday.
He held multiple employees at gunpoint and fled after taking approximately $1,625.72 from the manager's office, according to a Gainesville Police Department arrest report.
Juanquavious Jackson, 18, was charged with robbery with a firearm, two counts of attempted felony murder and possession of a firearm by a delinquent, according to a GPD news release.
At approximately 9:10 p.m., Jackson entered the Zaxby’s on Northwest 10th Avenue wearing all black clothes, a white undershirt, black gloves and a mask that partially covered the bottom of his face, according to a police report.
Pointing the gun at two employees Jackson said “Give me the money,” according to a police report. The employees didn’t respond so Jackson shot the gun, with the bullet hitting the wall right above one of the employees' head.
The assistant manager, who was one of the two employees held at gunpoint, then leapt through the drive-through window and fled, according to a police report. The other employee dropped to the floor then jumped out the drive-through window.
Walking through the employee door, Jackson went to the cash register and tried to open it but was unsuccessful, according to an arrest report.
He then went to the manager's office, unlocked the safe and took three cash drawers before fleeing on foot, according to the arrest report.
The assistant manager said she recognized the robber as an employee who had been working there for one month.
The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office searched for Jackon with several K-9 units but he wasn’t located that night, according to a GPD news release.
On Monday, a witness called police after seeing a warrant out for a man matching the description of someone she saw at a Circle K, according to the arrest report.
The witness said that on the same night of the robbery, she saw someone approaching the Circle K on Main Street wearing all black clothes while putting on gloves but he did not have a mask. Jackson then saw a police cruiser and took off his gloves before leaving the gas station, according to an arrest report.
The witness who saw Jackson at the Circle K then picked him out of a photo line-up.
Jackson has previous charges for grand theft of a motor vehicle and fleeing and eluding police Dec. 26, 2021, according to court records.
He is being held at the Alachua County Jail with a bond of $725,000, according to court records.
Contact Jordan Ramos at jramos@alligator.org. Follow him on Twitter @JordanR68971799.
Jordan Ramos is a fourth-year journalism major who spends his time singing in two different choirs and his a cappella group.
