Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Jonathan Stephen King, 36, was arrested yesterday after allegedly trying to steal almost $1,800 in merchandise from Walmart.

At around 10:59 a.m. on July 7, an officer from the Gainesville Police Department was dispatched to Walmart located at 1800 NE 12th Avenue. This was in response to a report from the store’s Loss Prevention Officer, who stated that King had bypassed all payment stations with merchandise totaling $1,791.80, making no effort to pay. When security personnel confronted him, King abandoned the stolen goods.

The officer indicated that King voluntarily admitted, saying, “I was trying to steal a whole bunch of stuff from Walmart, but they weren’t letting me, so I left.”

The officer reported that the incident was clearly captured on the store’s surveillance cameras.

King is now facing charges of grand theft. His criminal record includes two non-violent felony convictions and 19 misdemeanor convictions, one of which was violent. Notably, 13 of these convictions are for trespassing offenses in Alachua County over the past two and a half years. His most recent arrest occurred on June 27, 2025, for trespassing and resisting an officer without violence; he was released on his own recognizance on June 29. Judge William Davis has set his bail at $15,000 for the latest charge.

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.