Gainesville police foiled a burglary attempt Sunday afternoon when the alleged criminal left behind a distinct clue: a business card.
Jason C. Johnson, 41, walked door-to-door on Northwest 13th Avenue, telling anyone who would listen that he could trim their trees.
When he knocked at 906 NW 13th Ave., nobody answered, but something caught his eye.
Johnson walked to the screened-in patio on the side of the house, picked up a queen-size bed frame and lugged it to his truck, which read "Gainesville Tree Service" on the back.
The owner of the house, Aowyn Plants, watched Johnson through a window, according to an arrest report.
Plants called 911 and, after some help from neighbors, Johnson was lured back to 13th Avenue and arrested. He was charged with petit theft and burglary of an occupied dwelling.
Prior to the arrest, officer Michael Preston asked around to see if anyone else on the street saw a man from Gainesville Tree Service. To his luck, several people talked to Johnson. He even left behind his contact information, according to police.
Preston called Johnson. He wanted an estimate on the tree service, he said. When Johnson came back, Preston arrested him.
Johnson admitted to stealing the bed frame, according to police, but he could not be reached for comment Monday. The phone number provided in the arrest report was disconnected.
Katherine Hanea, who lives two doors down from Plants, said she met Johnson on Sunday morning. He kept his distance and wasn't too chatty.
"He couldn't have stayed for longer than a minute," she said. "He was real brief: in and out."
The owner of Gainesville Tree Service, Butch Holton, said he hired Johnson about three weeks ago.
"He's probably not employed anymore," Holton said Monday.
Johnson was arrested and charged with domestic battery in 2006, according to the Alachua County Clerk of Court website. Holton said he did not know about Johnson's prior arrest before hiring him.
"I don't go on the Internet and dig that up," he said. "I talk to people eye-to-eye. The majority of the people in the tree-trimming business aren't Ph.D.s. Most are kind of on the bottom."
