Inset: Joshua R. Spirit (Alachua County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The Ace Hardware in Gainesville where Spirit allegedly shoplifted with the help of his 6-year-old daughter (Google Maps).
A 35-year-old man in Florida is accused of using his 6-year-old daughter to try to steal from a local Ace Hardware, only to ditch the child in the store parking lot as he fled from a security guard who confronted him about the theft.
Joshua Robert Spirit was taken into custody earlier this week and charged with multiple crimes, including child abuse without great bodily harm, child neglect without bodily harm, and resisting an officer without violence, records show.
According to an arrest report obtained by Law&Crime, the incident took place at about 4 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 10, at the Ace Hardware in the 3700 block of University Avenue in Gainesville. A security guard at the establishment said Spirit and his daughter were in the tool section of the store when Spirit put some merchandise “into his person” and into his daughter’s bag. The 6-year-old was allegedly “watching for people” while her father took the items.
The guard said he observed Spirit pass all points of sale before exiting the store without paying for the merchandise, which retailed at a total of $199, per the report. He then identified himself to Spirit and attempted to stop him from leaving, but Spirit allegedly “refused to comply.”
As Spirit and his daughter got in his car and attempted to leave, the guard said he stood behind the car and took a photo of the license plate. While he was taking the photo, Spirit allegedly backed up the car, “tapping” the guard with his vehicle “with the intentions to get away.” The guard called 911 as Spirit fled the parking lot.
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An officer with the Gainesville Police Department soon located Spirit in front of his home. When commanded to stop, Spirit allegedly “took off running,” leaving his young daughter “unattended by herself.”
A second officer soon spotted Spirit walking in the 5900 block of NW 23rd Terrace. When Spirit heard the officer tell him to stop, he allegedly “jumped over an 8-foot concrete wall” and “concealed himself in the nearby Walmart parking lot.”
A third officer said they found Spirit “hiding under a parked car on the Walmart property.” Police said Spirit began to climb back over the same concrete wall again, but saw that one of the officers pursuing him was still on the other side. Instead, he bolted into the Walmart and tried to hide. The third officer followed him into the store and deployed his Taser before placing Spirit under arrest. A blue pocket knife was recovered from Spirit’s pocket, the report says.
Records show that Spirit was previously convicted of multiple nonviolent felonies and was on probation at the time of his arrest. He was processed at the Alachua County Jail where a judge set his bond at $45,000 on the latest charges but ordered Spirit to be held without bond while his probation status is reviewed.
It was not immediately clear when he was scheduled to appear in court again.
