An employee who left his bakery job almost two years ago came back early Saturday and confronted the owner before shooting him in the arm, police said.
Carlos Gilberto Morales Serrano, 34, of Gainesville, is accused of shooting his former employer at 4 a.m. at Bakery Mill & Deli, at 1143 NW 76th Blvd., said Alachua County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Art Forgey. He was arrested after a three-hour long standoff with officials and charged with attempted first-degree murder. The motive is unknown, Forgey said.
The bakery owner was throwing out trash in the back of the store when he noticed Morales Serrano’s car driving toward him, Forgey said. Morales Serrano drove up to the owner and asked if he remembered him.
The owner said he did remember him and threatened to call the police if Morales Serrano didn’t leave. Morales Serrano is accused of driving away, then turning around and shooting at the owner several times with a handgun, according to the sworn complaint.
The owner was hit in the arm, fell to the ground and hid behind a van, Forgey said. Morales Serrano began to drive away again but turned around and shot at the owner multiple times but missed, Forgey said. He left after shooting a total of three rounds at the owner.
Morales Serrano drove home while the owner drove himself to North Florida Regional Medical Center, deputies said. A bullet shattered the owner’s left arm, according to a sworn complaint. He was treated for non-life threatening injuries and later discharged from the emergency room.
Deputies found Morales Serrano's car in the parking lot where he lives on the 6800 block of Southwest 4th Place and surrounded the building. Morales Serrano hid in an attic until about 8 a.m. when he came outside, Forgey said.
Gregory Allen Foreman, 29, and his girlfriend, who live in the same building as Morales Serrano, knew Morales Serrano was in the attic, according to an arrest report. Foreman was also arrested for resisting without violence.
His girlfriend, whose name was redacted from the report, was given a sworn complaint for helping Morales Serrano into the attic, Forgey said.
Morales Serrano was also charged with possessing a weapon as a felon and violating probation. In 2016, was found guilty of stealing a laptop from an apartment and was sentenced to three years probation, according to court records.
He is being held in Alachua County Jail, and his bond is set at $1.25 million, records said.
Contact Amanda Rosa at arosa@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @AmandaNicRosa
This story has been updated to reflect Morales Serrano's proper last name, which was not available at the time of publication.
Carlos Gilberto Serrano-Morales
