Staff report
ALACHUA, Fla. – A 19-year-old man already being held in Clay County on vehicle burglary cases is now facing charges in Alachua County tied to the alleged theft of a firearm from a car in November 2025. Authorities identified the suspect as Nathan James Thompson, who has been charged with burglary and grand theft of a firearm.
According to the Alachua Police Department, an officer was called on November 7, 2025, to a residence in the Montclair area, in the 15500 block of NW 136th Terrace. Investigators reviewed surveillance footage that reportedly showed a white male wearing a checked hooded jacket entering a vehicle. The victim told police that a Sig Sauer P238 pistol had been taken from the car.
Police later shared the video on social media in an effort to generate tips from the public. An anonymous tipster then provided a photo that authorities said showed Thompson wearing what appeared to be the same hooded jacket. A review of law enforcement records also indicated that Thompson had been charged in connection with multiple similar offenses in Jacksonville and Clay County.
An Alachua officer subsequently interviewed Thompson at the Clay County Jail. After being read his Miranda rights, Thompson reportedly acknowledged that he had been in Alachua when the burglary occurred. Police said he also admitted taking the gun from the vehicle, though he claimed he had been searching for money because he was homeless. Thompson reportedly told investigators he placed the firearm in his backpack, but said someone later took it and that he did not know where it ended up.
Thompson was booked into the Alachua County Jail yesterday on charges of burglary of an unoccupied vehicle and grand theft of a firearm. Court records list four prior felony convictions, including one classified as violent, along with one non-violent misdemeanor conviction. Judge Meshon Rawls set his bail at $300,000.
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.
