Ft. White Man Arrested in Gainesville Metro PCS Burglary After K-9 Unit Search

GAINESVILLE, FL — A Ft. White man faces multiple charges after he was apprehended by Gainesville Police Department (GPD) officers following an early morning burglary at a local Metro PCS store. The suspect, identified as Cebran Bill Kohn III, 31, was arrested after a K-9 track led officers to his hiding spot.

The incident began around 3:38 a.m. on November 18, 2025, when GPD officers responded to a commercial burglary alarm at the Metro PCS retail store located at 1103 N. Main Street. Upon arrival, officers noted forced entry into the establishment. High-definition security footage reviewed by investigators showed at least one suspect inside the store, actively filling a bag with various packaged cell phones.

Shortly after the alarm, responding officers spotted two men riding bicycles in the vicinity who matched the descriptions of the suspects seen on camera. When officers attempted to initiate a stop, both men abandoned their bicycles and fled on foot in different directions. During the chase, the suspects discarded a bag containing several brand-new cell phones in their original packaging, which was later recovered by officers.

GPD deployed a K-9 unit to track the suspects. The police dog successfully tracked and located Kohn hiding in the 800 block of NW 16th Avenue, where he was taken into custody without further incident. The second suspect managed to evade arrest and remains at large. Upon searching Kohn, officers discovered drug paraphernalia and a substance that tested positive for methamphetamine. Kohn was booked into the Alachua County Jail on charges of commercial burglary, grand theft, possession of a controlled substance, and resisting arrest without violence.