By Staff
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A 49-year-old man named Lorenzo Leon Murray was taken into custody last night following accusations of attempting to break into a car and rummaging through another vehicle in a nearby area.
At approximately 10:16 p.m. on February 26, a resident near the 1200 block of NW 13th Street alerted authorities after witnessing a man trying to open her car door. The car was parked in a carport attached to her house, within the protected area of the residence. The homeowner, who was present during the incident, informed Gainesville Police that the suspect fled upon discovering the car was locked. The entire episode was caught on her surveillance cameras.
Shortly thereafter, the same individual reportedly entered another vehicle just two blocks away, rifling through its contents. A resident spotted the man inside the vehicle, prompting the suspect to flee the scene once he realized he had been detected.
Officers apprehended Murray roughly nine blocks from the location of the initial incident. His attire matched the description of the individual seen on surveillance footage, although he was no longer wearing a jacket, which officers suspect he discarded.
Murray permitted a search of his backpack, which contained baby diapers, wipes, and a set of keys. He was unable to provide a plausible explanation for possessing these items and could not identify the origins of the keys. Police suspect these items may have been stolen from other cars in the vicinity during burglaries that have yet to be reported.
Post Miranda, Murray reportedly denied entering or attempting to enter any vehicles but was unable to explain why he was in that neighborhood.
Murray has been charged with attempted burglary of an occupied dwelling and attempted burglary of a vehicle; the second victim did not want to press charges. He has 19 felony convictions (two violent) and 30 misdemeanor convictions (two violent) and has served seven state prison sentences, with his most recent release in 2021 after serving a five-year sentence for burglary. Judge Meshon Rawls set bail at $40,000.
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.
