Surveillance Ties Waldo Man to Fleeing from Police, Reckless Driving

GAINESVILLE – A Waldo man was arrested Wednesday after Gainesville Police said he fled from officers during a predawn encounter earlier in the week, crashed a vehicle into a fence and later attempted to claim he had been home all night. Investigators identified him using surveillance video from a nearby convenience store.

According to the Gainesville Police Department (GPD), the incident began around 3:30 a.m. on Nov. 23, 2025, when officers responded to repeated noise complaints at the Chevron gas station at 1024 W. University Ave. Police reported seeing a large baggie of marijuana on the center console of a gold Chevrolet Malibu parked at the pumps. Officers said the driver initially opened the door as if to get out of the vehicle but then quickly shut it and sped away.

Officers activated their lights and sirens in an attempt to conduct a traffic stop. Police said the driver switched off the vehicle’s headlights, ran multiple stop signs and drove at a high rate of speed “disregarding the safety of other vehicles” as he fled the area.

At about 4:20 a.m., officers found the Malibu abandoned in the 700 block of NW 15^th Avenue after it had crashed into a fence. Police also located fresh damage on a nearby fence where they believe someone tried to force their way through and attempted to jump over it.

Inside the car, officers found approximately 80.5 grams of marijuana along with the ID card and mail of 23-year-old Mitchell Craig Griffin Jr. Investigators noted there were no signs of forced entry into the Malibu and no evidence of ignition tampering.

Although officers could not immediately confirm that Griffin was the driver, the investigation continued. The next morning, Griffin’s girlfriend — the registered owner of the Malibu — reported the vehicle stolen. She told officers the car had been parked at her residence when she went to bed around 11:30 p.m. on Nov. 22 and that Griffin was home at the time, went to bed with her and “never left her residence” until after she woke to find the car missing.

Investigators returned to the Chevron and reviewed surveillance video from the early-morning hours. Footage showed the Malibu driver standing near the gas pumps around 1:45 a.m. and inside the store at about 2 a.m. Officers captured clear images of the suspect’s face.

When an officer later contacted Griffin by phone, he reportedly claimed he had been home the entire night.

On Nov. 26, Griffin agreed to meet officers at GPD Headquarters. During the interview, he again reportedly insisted he had remained at his girlfriend’s house the whole night and had not loaned his girlfriend’s car to anyone.

When shown the surveillance image from the Chevron, Griffin reportedly acknowledged he was the man in the picture, at which point officers detained him. Post Miranda, Griffin again confirmed the man in the surveillance footage was him. When told that the same individual was recorded getting into the Malibu and fleeing officers, Griffin reportedly declined to discuss that portion of the incident. He also stated he did not have any marijuana in the vehicle.

According to police, Griffin made additional comments while being transported to the jail, allegedly stating that he had “just gotten out of prison for the same thing.”

Court records show Griffin has five felony convictions and was released from state prison in June 2025 after serving a one-year sentence for fleeing from law enforcement.

Griffin now faces multiple charges: possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, fleeing from law enforcement with lights and sirens activated, reckless driving with property damage, resisting an officer without violence and driving without a valid license. Judge Jonathan Ramsey set his bail at $40,000.

#     #     #

Email cwalker@

alachuatoday.com