A Gainesville man ran out of his shoes and through a Subway on Sunday while fleeing officers who suspected him of purse snatching, Gainesville Police said.
Trace D. Owens, 24, was sitting in a woman’s car, rummaging through her purse in the parking lot of a senior nursing and rehabilitation center, located at 1000 SW 16th Ave., at about 3:05 p.m. when the woman and another witness saw him, according to an arrest report.
When Owens saw the woman and the witness, he fled the scene, taking her purse with him, according to the report.
Owens attempted to flee on his bicycle, but the purse strap got caught on a part of the bike, ripping the strap off the purse and causing the bicycle to become unusable, GPD spokesperson Ben Tobias wrote in an email.
Owens fled on foot, running out of his shoes before jumping a wall into Oakbrook Walk Apartment Complex, located at 1331 SW 13th St. At Oakbrook Walk, Owens discarded his socks because they were slowing him down and buried the purse in the complex, Tobias said.
A police officer eventually found Owens at a Subway, located at 1805 SW 13th St. The officer got out of his car and yelled at Owens to stop. Owens ran into the Subway and through the business until he exited through the back and continued fleeing, according to the report.
Police said the officer told Owens to stop multiple times and warned Owens that he would be tased if he did not comply. Eventually, the officer used a Taser on Owens in an attempt to detain him, according to the report.
Tobias said Owens brought officers back to location where he buried the purse. Owens told police he found the purse in the parking lot and looked through it. He never admitted to entering the victim’s car. The woman and witness identified Owens from the parking lot, according to the report.
Owens was arrested on charges of burglary, petit theft and resisting an officer. He was taken to the Alachua County Jail where he was released on his own recognizance Monday afternoon.
Owens could not be reached for a comment.
