NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
GAINESVILLE, Fla., April 29, 2026: A 33-year-old man was arrested at Depot Park early Tuesday after a passerby alerted police to suspicious behavior near a walking trail, according to a report by the Alachua Chronicle.
Moheet Mohan Kanolkar was taken into custody at about 7:46 a.m.
Police said a witness approached an officer and reported that a man was hiding in the bushes and acting strangely. Responding officers located the individual partially concealed within a wooded section of the park. As they approached, the man appeared to be pulling up his pants, according to the Alachua Chronicle report.
Officers instructed him multiple times to step out of the wooded area. He initially remained behind a tree before eventually complying, police said.
Kanolkar reportedly told officers he was waiting for his employer but was unable to provide a name, business, or reason for being in Gainesville. Investigators said he had a bus ticket indicating he arrived in the city around 3:40 a.m. that morning, traveling from Gary, Indiana, with a connection from Atlanta.
Police said he did not have identification on him. Attempts to verify his identity using fingerprint and facial recognition tools were unsuccessful, according to the report. Officers also noted that he declined to answer questions about his citizenship or travel documents; the report lists his place of birth as India.
Investigators reported finding explicit videos on the device and images of social media profiles of young women. Items recovered from his belongings included a condom and lotion, which officers noted in the report.
Kanolkar was charged with loitering and prowling. Court records show no known prior criminal history. Bail was set at $3,000 by Judge Bo Bayer.
The charge is an allegation, and Kanolkar is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
