Man arrested on charges of stealing TVs, cigars and cigarettes

Gainesville police found missing televisions and thousands of dollars in cigars and cigarettes Thursday after receiving a tip that a local man could be connected to several recent burglaries.

Officers arrested Ivey Lee Hawkins, 31, of Gainesville, on charges of burglary, theft and dealing in stolen property. Hawkins remained behind bars at the Alachua County jail Friday on a $120,000 bond.

A tip lead investigators to Hawkins, who officers found at a local home. When police searched the residence, they found three televisions. Police determined two had been stolen from Gainesville rent-to-own businesses last month.

Police also found 75 boxes of assorted cigars, six cartons of assorted cigarettes and 307 packs of cigar wraps, which officers believe could have been stolen during a burglary at a SW 4th Avenue convenience store on Tuesday, said police spokeswoman Officer Summer Hallett.