Man punches Sweetbay employee after theft, deputies say

A Gainesville man was charged Tuesday with shoplifting and battery after he attacked a grocery store employee who had tried to recover items he had stolen, deputies said.
Leland M. Inmon, 57, was seen stuffing items inside shopping bags and exiting the Sweetbay Supermarket at 4221 Mariner Blvd., according to an arrest report.
He was approached by a plain-clothed loss prevention officer, who attempted to recover the stolen property, deputies said.
Inmon struck her in the face several times and fled the scene, according to the arrest report.
He was later located at the intersection of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Hale Avenue in Brooksville, arrested and taken to the Hernando County Jail, deputies said.
Inmon previously has been convicted of theft at least nine times and convicted of battery twice, according to the report.
Bond was set at $4,500.