Gainesville Police arrested a local man Tuesday afternoon after he reportedly stole money and was found with spice, a synthetic form of marijuana.
At about 6 p.m. Tuesday, Taj Perry, 24, reportedly took $20 from the hand of Gators Tobacco employee Fred Lassiter, according to a police report.
Perry reportedly told police that he put a $20 bill on the ground outside as a joke, and that Lassiter picked it up and went back inside, according to the report.
A woman standing outside never saw Perry put money on the ground, but she reportedly heard Lassiter say, “Give me back my money,” several times, according to the report.
Another employee reportedly saw Perry take the money from Lassiter’s hand inside the store, as did a security camera, according to the report.
After searching Perry, police found more than 1 gram of synthetic marijuana, a mix of plants and various chemicals often packaged as spice.
Spice-related emergencies spiked this year, and arrests for the drug started increasing over the last couple years, Lt. Tscharna Senn and Officer Ben Tobias, both GPD spokespeople, wrote in emails. Police arrested Perry on charges of robbery and possession of less than 3 grams of spice.
Authorities took him to the Alachua County Jail where, as of press time, he remains in lieu of a $25,000 bond.
Contact Giuseppe Sabella at gsabella@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @Gsabella
