Clay County man accused of targeting women at local gyms, faces 38 felony charges

A man accused of watching and targeting women at local gyms has been arrested.

According to a new arrest warrant, the suspect is facing 38 charges linked to crimes in Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties.

When Action News Jax’s Courtney Cole read through the 26-page report, she learned more than half-a-dozen women said their cars were broken into and belongings stolen.

RELATED: OrangeTheory warns members after St. Johns smash and grabs

Late last year, Action News Jax reported on a rash of burglaries targeting women outside their gyms.

Now, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office says two men were behind several of them.

According to the arrest affidavit, Clay County man Makeel Williams and Emil Junior Jean-Pierre, of Broward County, targeted Orange Theory Fitness gym locations.

More than half-a-dozen women told police the "smash-and-grabs" happened very early in morning, all before 7 a.m., in September and October 2018.

According to the report, Williams and Jean-Pierre would often take the stolen credit cards to a nearby Walmart.

Little did they know, surveillance video from some of these same Walmart stores would help investigators find them.

Williams is facing RICO, burglary, larceny and fraud charges.

He's in the St. Johns County Jail under a $142,500 bond.

Cox Media Group