Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Dennis Miles Hale, 43, was arrested yesterday after allegedly taking a pickup truck to collect money he said he was owed.
According to a Gainesville Police Department report, the victim said he was sitting in his 2022 Dodge Ram in Pineridge on September 25 with a woman identified as “Meagan” when a man he knew as “Dennis” approached and demanded, “Give me my money.” The victim said he owed Hale approximately $500. Hale allegedly opened the driver’s-side door, pulled Meagan from the truck, walked around to the passenger side and pulled the victim out before driving away.
The victim reportedly told the responding officer that he did not know Dennis’s last name or how to reach him, but he provided police with a description. He also said he did not know Meagan’s last name or how to contact her.
The stolen truck was found on SW Archer Road on October 11. Deputies conducted a traffic stop and reportedly found Hale behind the wheel as the vehicle’s only occupant.
After being advised of his Miranda rights, Hale reportedly told investigators that the victim owed him $4,000. Hale said the victim knew his last name, phone number and home address. He also said a woman he knew as “Lil bit” picked him up in the truck about two weeks earlier. When they arrived in Pineridge, Hale said the victim saw them inside the vehicle. Hale reportedly said he switched places with the woman and took the driver’s seat, while the victim smiled and did not say anything.
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Hale reportedly said the victim later called to ask whether they could resolve the matter. Hale said the victim needed to repay him, but never told him to return the truck and had not contacted him since the incident.
Hale faces a charge of grand theft of a motor vehicle. His record includes 16 non-violent felony convictions and one non-violent misdemeanor conviction. He has served two state prison sentences and was most recently released in 2022. Judge Lua Lepianka set bail at $10,000.
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.
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