Background: News footage of the Subway sandwich shop in Jacksonville, Fla. (WJAX). Inset: James Anthony Morris Jr. (Jacksonville Sheriff”s Office).
A Florida man who is employed as a manager at a Subway sandwich shop in Jacksonville is on bail following accusations of detaining a 10-year-old girl at his workplace.
James Anthony Morris Jr., 33, was taken into custody by Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office officers on Monday, charged with unlawfully imprisoning a child under 13. As reported in an arrest document reviewed by Law&Crime, Morris was mopping the Subway shop’s floor when a 10-year-old girl walked through the freshly cleaned area. The girl’s mother instructed her to apologize to Morris, who then allegedly seized the girl’s hand and led her to the back of the restaurant.
He then allegedly locked the girl in a room, and the mother began to “panic.”
The report indicates the mother initially believed Morris was teasing. When she tried to open the door, Morris allegedly “pushed the door closed” with the girl on the other side. In response, the mother “fought” with Morris and cried out for assistance. Eventually, she managed to open the door and extract her daughter.
When police spoke to the girl, she told them that when Morris allegedly pulled her into the back room, he “gripped her hand even tighter.” According to the report, he began ranting at the girl about her parents being “trash and terrible people.” Police said the girl “was really scared and thought she was being kidnapped.”
She confirmed that Morris did not make sexual advances towards her. Police believed that Morris allegedly held the girl for “upwards of two minutes” before her mother got to her.
Police spoke to another Subway employee who heard the mother yelling for help and responded. While he told police that he witnessed Morris allegedly pulling the girl away and then “heard the commotion.” He also told police that Morris was “acting weird” and believed the girl could be in danger.
After police read Morris his rights, he invoked his right to remain silent and “refused” to make a statement. He posted $5,000 bond after being booked into jail on one charge of false imprisonment of a child under the age of 13.
His next court date is scheduled for Aug. 13.
