The following individuals were arrested recently by local law enforcement officers in Bradford, Union, or Clay (Keystone Heights-area) counties. All defendants are considered innocent until convicted in a court or until pleading guilty or no contest. Information in this report is from law enforcement agencies and court documents, which are public records.
Bradford
Thomas Box, 43, was arrested by Bradford deputies on August 27 for driving with a suspended or revoked license, DUI and resisting an officer.
Derrick Clark, 42, of Jacksonville, was arrested by Bradford deputies on August 27 for failure to appear.
Aneilya Crum, 18, of Gainesville, was arrested by Bradford deputies on August 27 for larceny.
Rashaun Gray, 23, of Ocoee, was arrested by Bradford deputies on August 26 for obscene communication.
Michael James, 36, of Orange Park, was arrested by Bradford deputies on August 27 for driving with a suspended or revoked license.
Alvin Jenkins, 54, of Lawtey, was arrested by Bradford deputies on August 27 for a probation violation.
Austin Malone, 24, of Starke, was arrested by Bradford deputies on August 27 for child cruelty, possession of obscene material and unlawful use of a two-way communications device.
Sold stolen trailer, then vanished
Jason Padgett, 49, of Hawthorne, was arrested by Bradford deputies on August 28.
According to a sworn complaint, in September 2022, a man told deputies he responded to a Facebook ad selling a 15×7 dump trailer for $7,000.
The victim said he remitted the purchase price to Padgett in cash at the defendant’s Hampton-area home and observed several other trailers on the property at the time of the transaction.
When the buyer attempted to register the trailer in Jacksonville, the 15×7 came back as stolen from Marion County.
A detective wrote that when he drove to the location of the deal, Padgett was no longer there. He then found another property in the Hampton area where some of the defendant’s family members lived but could not find Padgett there.
Joshua Padgett, 32, of Starke, was arrested by Bradford deputies on August 28 for probation violations.
Kimberly Rossi, 47, of Hampton, was arrested by Bradford deputies on August 25 for a probation violation.
Held onto sales taxes collected from customers
Justin Thompson, 39, of Starke, was arrested by Bradford deputies on August 28 for theft of state funds.
According to a Florida Department of Revenue warrant affidavit, the defendant, owner of Thompson’s Mobile Home Supply and Hardware, LLC., operated a retail outlet north of Starke on U.S. 301 and failed to remit sales taxes collected from customers during multiple periods between December 2022 and January 2025.
A financial investigator wrote in the affidavit that during an interview at the Department of Revenue’s Alachua Service Center, Thompson admitted to collecting sales taxes but stated he used the funds to cover business expenses, citing financial difficulties due to unpaid customer invoices.
The investigator computed the $48,875 in sales taxes owed by taking the $977,019 in sales deposited into the business’s bank account over the relevant periods and dividing the sales by the applicable percentage.
According to the investigator, the Department of Revenue made multiple attempts to resolve the delinquencies, with a tax specialist contacting Thompson on seven occasions to discuss payment plans and filing requirements. Despite these efforts, Thompson failed to comply, resulting in Notices of Final Assessment and Jeopardy Findings, with tax warrants subsequently filed in Bradford County.
Wrong turn onto Hampton-area dead end road ends pursuit
Mathew Waldo, 47, of Gainesville, was arrested by FHP troopers on August 23 for vehicle theft, resisting an officer, possession of drugs, destroying evidence, possession of drug equipment and driving with a suspended or revoked license.
According to an arrest report, Trooper Alan Palmer was notified of a stolen white Chevrolet Metro out of Putnam County at 11 a.m., traveling north on U.S. 301 near the Alachua-Bradford County line.
“I observed the vehicle traveling north on US-301 in the inside lane,” wrote the officer. “Upon seeing my marked patrol vehicle pull into the median of US-301, the vehicle went from the inside travel lane to the right lane and then veered right onto the (County Road 221) split. Upon seeing my marked vehicle pull onto CR-221 the vehicle began to speed up and then made an immediate right onto SE 92nd Terr.”
As Palmer activated his lights and siren to initiate a traffic stop, the defendant accelerated down the dead-end road and attempted a U-turn, prompting Palmer to use his patrol vehicle to make intentional contact with the stolen car, disabling it.
The trooper reported that he exited his vehicle and ordered Waldo to show his hands and get on the ground.
“Upon me grabbing Mr. Waldo,” Palmer wrote, “he yanked away from me and moved back into the vehicle. I then grabbed Mr. Waldo a second time, at which time he exited the vehicle. I then asked Mr. Waldo where he was going, to which he said to a buddy’s house. I asked him which house was his buddy’s, to which he responded, I made a wrong turn.”
A search of the vehicle revealed a punched-out ignition, with Waldo admitting he started the car by hot-wiring it with two wires. Near the vehicle, Palmer found a black case with a clear lid containing a pipe commonly used for smoking methamphetamine and a plastic bag with a white crystalline substance that field-tested positive for the addictive nervous system stimulant. The trooper wrote that the dry condition of the case and bag in wet grass suggested an attempt to destroy evidence.
“Later on,” Palmer concluded, “Mr. Waldo was then asked why he didn’t immediately stop, to which he said he was nervous and freaked out.”
Union
Justin Drawdy, 42, of Lake Butler, was arrested by Union deputies on August 29 for resisting an officer.
Derick Edwards, 47, of Lake Butler, was arrested by Union deputies on August 31 for disorderly intoxication.
Nikki Gutierrez-Bridgman, 38, of Lake Butler, was arrested by Union deputies on August 30 for an out-of-county warrant.
Thomas Lindboe, 42, of Lake Butler, was arrested by Union deputies on August 29 for failure to appear.
Carl Rowe, 43, of Lake Butler, was arrested by Union deputies on August 31 for driving with a suspended or revoked license.
Clay
Brothers fight over bathroom use
Caden Dorris, 22, of Keystone Heights, was arrested by Clay deputies on August 24 for domestic battery.
According to an arrest report, deputies responded to a Southwest Fairway Drive home after the mother of two brothers called 911.
The mother reported that the incident began when the victim asked his younger brother, who was using the bathroom, to hurry up. This led to an argument after Dorris told the victim to stop interfering. The verbal dispute escalated into a physical confrontation, during which the defendant grabbed his brother’s neck, and both fell to the ground while fighting.
The pair briefly ceased fighting but continued arguing. Dorris then challenged the victim to “take it outside,” where he attempted to kick the victim but missed. The two returned inside, where the mother attempted to mediate. During this time, the victim began recording the verbal altercation on Snapchat, prompting the defendant to slap the phone out of his hand before retreating to his room.
The responding officer interviewed the victim, who confirmed that the argument started over his request for his younger brother to leave the bathroom. He stated that Caden grabbed his neck during the fight, but his airway and blood flow were not obstructed. The officer observed a scratch on the right side of the victim’s ribcage, which was photographed for evidence. He declined a medical evaluation, stating he was fine.
“I then made contact with the defendant,” reported Deputy Brian Bolena, “who was uncooperative with my investigation. The defendant ignored most of my questioning and maintained an arrogant and argumentative demeanor throughout the course of our conversation.”
Douglas Firth, 36, of Keystone Heights, was arrested by Clay deputies on August 26 for domestic battery.
According to an arrest report, during an argument, the defendant placed both hands on his wife’s shoulders and pushed her back, causing her to fall to the ground.
Justin Harris, 34, of Keystone Heights, was arrested by Clay deputies on August 28 for burglary, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, possession of not more than 20 grams of marijuana and possession of drug equipment.
Charles McPherson, 69, of Melrose, was arrested by Clay deputies on August 28 for simple assault.
