A suspected golf cart thief landed back behind bars after allegedly lying to law enforcement about his identity.
Robert Joseph Gibson, 43, of Weirsdale, had been released last month from the Lake County Jail on his own recognizance. He had been jailed after allegedly stealing a golf cart from the Outback Steakhouse restaurant in The Villages.
Gibson had been traveling on Labor Day in a vehicle with 37-year-old Felicia Ann Erskine of Summerfield, who was arrested last month at a Circle K in The Villages when she was found to have marijuana tucked in her bra.
During the Labor Day traffic stop, Erskine was found to be in possession of methamphetamine, according to an arrest report from the Fruitland Park Police Department. Gibson attempted to give police a false name. When officers learned Gibson’s true identity, they found he was wanted on a pair of Marion County warrants charging him with grand theft of a motor vehicle. He was taken into custody and booked at the Lake County Jail.
Gibson had been arrested June 13 in connection with the theft of a 2020 Yamaha golf cart, valued at $20,000, which had been parked April 8 at Outback at Rolling Acres Plaza, according to an affidavit of probable cause from the Lady Lake Police Department. The owner left the restaurant at about 7:30 p.m. and discovered his golf cart was missing from the parking lot. He was still in possession of the key. A review of video surveillance led a detective to suspect Gibson had stolen the golf cart. The detective was aware that Gibson had been associated with previous golf cart thefts.
In 2019, Gibson was arrested after running out of Kohl’s in Lady Lake wearing a pair of stolen Nike shoes.
