A 78-year-old disabled Gainesville man is recovering after a brutal home invasion that ended with a three-car collision on Soutwest 13 Street and Southwest Fifth Avenue early Tuesday.
Late Monday night, Paul Quandt was home in a section of the Blues Creek Community called The Gardens off Northwest 43rd Street, when a man identified as Austin Mark Jones and an unidentified female broke in, according to Gainesville Police spokeswoman Cpl. Angelina Valuri.
Quandt was beaten on his head and body, stabbed in the forearm and shot with a Taser. GPD investigators found a large amount of blood in the kitchen and believe he was left for dead.
The house was ransacked, Quandt's hand's were taped together and a safe was found missing in the bedroom. Detectives believe Jones and his female accomplice took $20,000 in gold silver and coins, guns, cash, electronics and a cellphone, Valuri said.
Police said Quandt somehow used cooking oil to loosen the tape on his hands and then crawled to his motorized scooter to get help from a neighbor, who called 911.
Quandt soon lost consciousness, but before he did he was able to tell his neighbor that he was robbed by a white male and female in masks, Valuri said.
He was taken to Shands at UF, where he underwent surgery to relieve pressure on his brain, Valuri said, and he had multiple head injuries and numerous broken bones in his face.
Gainesville Police Sgt. Steve Girard spotted Quandt's white Cadallic, driven by Jones and outfitted with a platform for the scooter, heading out of a nearby neighborhood. Girard chased.
Speeds exceeded 100 mph during the pursuit, Valuri said. The chase ended when Jones collided with two other cars. He rear-ended a blue Buick Century and clipped the right rear bumper of a black BMW 3 Series.
The driver of the Century suffered minor fractures, and the driver of the BMW drove away from the scene.
Jones was in critical condition at Shands on Tuesday afternoon, and police said a .380 caliber handgun fell out of the waistband of his pants when he was apprehended. They also found a stun gun, latex gloves and a second handgun.
Jones is charged with attempted murder and home invasion robbery with a firearm, Valuri said.
Police were still searching for the missing female suspect Tuesday.
Anyone with information about the case or the suspect is urged to call Crime Stoppers at 372-7867.
