Gainesville Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Attacking Elderly Home Depot Customer Who Confronted him for Stealing
Monday morning, Mark Jermaine Williams, 46, was convicted of grand theft (felony), battery on an elderly person (felony), possession of a controlled substance (felony), possession of drug equipment (misdemeanor), and resisting an officer without violence (misdemeanor).
Facing up to 17 years in prison, Williams took a plea deal accepted by Judge Robert Groeb in which he was sentenced to seven years in prison.
On September 6, 2024, Williams walked into Home Depot and walked out with a shopping cart of products reportedly valued at nearly $900.
According to the police report, an elderly Home Depot customer (victim) confronted Williams for stealing as he was unloading the merchandise into a vehicle. The victim took a picture of Williams and the license plate, angering him enough to attack her.
The arrest report described surveillance footage capturing Williams “violently pushing [the victim] down onto the pavement.”
The arrest report indicates Williams fled the scene in the vehicle prior to police arriving.
The victim had visible injuries to include scrapes, bruises and peeling skin.
Police spoke with another Home Depot customer (Wit 1) who saw the attack.
Police made contact with the owner of the vehicle Williams’ fled in, and she said her brother (Wit 2) had been driving it the entire day.
Gainesville Police Department Officer Nicholas Domico reported, “Wit 2 eventually made phone contact with me and admitted he drove the car… He picked [Williams] up from the Grace Market[place] Shelter… and he drove [Williams] to Home Depot. Wit 2 said he took a quick nap inside the car and waited for [Williams] to get done shopping. Wit 2 denied any knowledge of the theft nor the battery in the parking lot. Wit 2 said he woke up hearing [Williams] jumping into the passenger seat yelling 'Go, Go, Go.’ Wit 2 said he returned [Williams] back to Grace… [where he] took the property with him, and he has not heard from [Williams] since. Wit 2 said he personally knew [Williams], provided [his] name, and identified him by a photo.”
Approximately ten days later, GPD located Williams at Grace Marketplace. After he fled, officers located Williams hiding in the bathroom.
Officer John Holt reported that police found a gabapentin prescription in Williams’ backpack that had another individual’s name on the bottle; “along with a pipe full of black residue, and a glass pipe with brillo in it and burnt at one end (commonly used smoke crack cocaine). Post-Miranda, [Williams] admitted to paying for the Gabapentin by exchanging it for ‘Molly’ (MDMA). [Williams] also advised that he used the pipe to smoke mainly cannabis and molly.”
As of now, Williams remains in the Alachua County Jail awaiting transfer to a Florida Department of Corrections facility.
