Florida Man Plows 'Hot-Wired' Excavator Through Supermarket Wall: Police

A Florida man was arrested after authorities claimed he took a stolen excavator on a destructive joyride and caused millions of dollars worth of damage. According to a police report obtained by New York Post, 47-year-old Jesse Smith is accused of ramming into several buildings and smashing the construction vehicle through the wall of a Walmart in Gainesville.

The Gainesville Police Department said the suspect struck a storage unit in the 2700 block of SW 40th Blvd. and took out power poles before arriving at the Walmart, which is located in the 2900 block of SW 42nd Street. Officers said the suspect was taken into custody but didn't identify him at the time. Nobody was hurt in the incident.

The arrest report claims Smith "hot-wired" a yellow Komatsu excavator and drove it away from the construction site, taking out utility poles and fences along the way. After plowing a hole into the Walmart, he reportedly entered the store armed with a machete but later discarded it, according to authorities.

When cops arrived on the scene to arrest him, the suspect "physically resisted officers and initially refused to put his hands behind his back," the report reads. Officials estimate Smith caused approximately $2 million worth of damage to the businesses.

He ended up getting charged with several charges, including first-degree grand theft causing damage to property estimated over $1,000, armed trespassing, four counts of criminal mischief with damage to property, and resisting an officer without violence, court records state.

He's currently being held at Alachua County Jail and awaits trial.