Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Douglas Scott Sears, 55, was arrested early this morning on two warrants, one for stealing two snakes from a reptile store and one for failing to appear at a hearing on charges from a previous arrest.
Sears was arrested in December 2023 for scooter theft and possession of drugs with intent to sell; he was released on bail and failed to appear at a hearing on that case on November 4, and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
At about 6:23 p.m. on August 15, 2024, a Gainesville Police Department officer responded to Florida Man Reptiles (3315 SW Archer Road), where a store representative said a man entered the store, walked over to a glass display case, damaged the case while opening it, took two Green Tree Python snakes, and put them in his backpack before leaving the store. The snakes were valued at $900 each.
The store owner posted surveillance video of the incident on Facebook and received multiple responses that provided Sears’s name and his employment at the Chili’s nearby.