Homeless man arrested for intentionally damaging plumbing at church

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Derech Tyler Lollis, 27, who is described as homeless in court documents, was arrested yesterday and charged with burglary to an unoccupied structure and felony property damage after allegedly kicking a water spigot at Parkview Baptist Church.

Surveillance cameras reportedly show Lollis entering the curtilage of Parkview Baptist Church (3403 NW 13th St.) at about 11:07 p.m. on April 15; while there, he allegedly kicked a water spigot, causing $50 damage to the spigot cover and about $3,000 damage to the plumbing. A $200 valve was reportedly stolen from the water main on a different part of the property. The camera reportedly shows Lollis walking away after damaging the plumbing.

Gainesville Police Department officers reportedly encountered Lollis on April 17 while investigating a trespassing call and identified him as the man shown in the video; one officer noted that he was wearing some of the same clothing shown in the video from Parkview Baptist. Comparison of Lollis’ tattoos with the surveillance video and his booking photos from Duval County reinforced the identification.

A warrant for Lollis’ arrest was issued on May 2, and he was arrested yesterday. Lollis reportedly refused to answer questions about how long he has been in the area, but the Duval County arrest was in September 2023, and he has an unspecified out-of-state criminal history between 2016 and 2024. He has one misdemeanor conviction (non-violent). Judge Jonathan Ramsey set bail at $30,000.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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