Staff report

HAWTHORNE, Fla. – Samuel Kirtan Shinkman, 31, was apprehended yesterday in Hawthorne while driving a car stolen from the McDonald’s located on East University Avenue in Gainesville.

Around 2 p.m. on May 4, an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy responded to a report of a car weaving through traffic in the 6100 block of U.S. Hwy 301 in Hawthorne. The deputy located a maroon Kia and tracked it as it entered the parking area of Hawthorne Square (6005 SE U.S. Hwy 301), where Shinkman, the driver, was detained.

After being read his Miranda rights, Shinkman allegedly confessed to having taken the car earlier at around 6 a.m. that day from a “friend” whose name he couldn’t recall, admitting he “took” the vehicle from the McDonald’s on University Avenue.

Shinkman has been charged with grand theft of a motor vehicle. He has 12 felony convictions (four violent) and seven misdemeanor convictions (non-violent); he has served one state prison sentence and was released in February 2025. Judge Meshon Rawls set bail at $25,000 and ordered a mental health evaluation.

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.