HAWTHORNE, Fla. – Samuel Kirtan Shinkman, 31, was arrested on May 4 in Hawthorne after being found driving a car that had been stolen from the McDonald’s on East University Avenue in Gainesville.
At approximately 2 p.m. that day, an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy responded to reports of a vehicle swerving in and out of traffic along the 6100 block of U.S. Hwy 301. The deputy located the vehicle, a maroon Kia, and followed it into the parking lot of Hawthorne Square. Shinkman was then detained.
During questioning, Shinkman reportedly admitted to taking the vehicle around 6 a.m. that morning from a “friend” but was unable to remember the friend’s name. He also stated he had stolen the vehicle from the McDonald’s location.
Shinkman has been charged with grand theft of a motor vehicle. He has an extensive criminal record, including 12 felony convictions (four violent) and seven misdemeanor convictions. Having served a state prison sentence, he was released in February 2025. Judge Meshon Rawls set his bail at $25,000 and ordered a mental health evaluation.