Police arrested a man early Monday morning on charges of attempted robbery with a firearm after he was caught trying to take his car from a towing compound without paying the fee he owed.
Anthony L. King, 21, of Miami, jumped a fence at Superior Towing, located at 1308 S Main St., according to a Gainesville Police Department arrest report.
He found his car, grabbed a gun from his trunk and placed it next to a loaded magazine on his front passenger seat, according to the report.
King later told police he had planned to drive his car out of the lot when a truck driver, Otis Vaughn, entered the gate.
King said he had retrieved the gun in case he needed it to scare anyone who tried to stop him, but he did not intend to use it.
When Vaughn saw King, he called the police, who arrived quickly and arrested King at 4:30 a.m.
King said he was trying to avoid paying the $106.88 fee he owed Superior Towing.
He was charged with a first-degree felony and his bond was set at $50,000.
