Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Early this morning, Amos A. Reece, 43, was taken into custody after reportedly vandalizing property at the Springhill Commons Publix by breaking two windows and slashing the tires of approximately 30 cars.
At around 12:07 a.m. on June 17, an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy was dispatched to Publix (9200 NW 39th Avenue), following a report from a Publix employee who witnessed an individual hurling an object at the windows before fleeing the scene. The deputy confirmed that two windows had been “destroyed.”
Video surveillance reportedly showed a man throwing objects at the windows, which broke on impact, and then running away on foot.
Deputies found Reece under the I-75 overpass at NW 39th Avenue at 3:37 a.m. and detained him.
Following his Miranda rights, Reece allegedly confessed to various acts of vandalism, which he claimed were motivated by resentment towards those who disrespect him. He admitted to using a multitool to slash tires on about 30 vehicles, a tool that was discovered during a search conducted after his arrest.
Reece has been charged with property damage over $1,000 for the damage to the Publix windows, and charges for the tires are pending while deputies identify and contact the owners of the vehicles.
The arresting deputy noted that while being transported to the jail, Reece “used multiple slurs and made multiple death threats to supposed family members and law enforcement.” He was not charged with making these threats because he was in handcuffs and did not have the ability to carry out his threats.
Reece, who is described as homeless on his arrest report, has an unspecified criminal history in another state between 2003 and 2017 but no local criminal history; court documents do not state how long he has been in the area. Judge Kristine Van Vorst set bail at $75,000 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.
