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 works as a manager at a Subway sandwich shop in Jacksonville is out on bail after being accused of imprisoning a 10-year-old girl at his restaurant.
James Anthony Morris Jr., 33, was arrested by officers from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office on Monday and charged with false imprisonment of a child under the age of 13. According to an arrest report reviewed by Law&Crime, Morris was mopping the floor of the Subway shop when a 10-year-old girl walked across the area he had just cleaned. The girl’s mother told her to apologize to Morris, who then allegedly grabbed the girl by the hand and brought her to the back of the restaurant.
He then allegedly locked the girl in a room, and the mother began to “panic.”
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According to the report, the mother initially thought Morris was joking around. When she attempted to open the door, Morris allegedly “pushed the door closed” with the girl behind it. The mother “fought” with Morris and yelled for help. Eventually, she was able to get the door open and get her daughter out.
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.
