Homeless man accused of trespassing into City Hall of Bonita Spings

Reporter: Annalise Iraola Writer: Carolina Guzman
Published: Updated:
Jamal Gambrel Credit: The Lee County Sheriff’s Office

A man experiencing homelessness is accused of trespassing into the City Hall of Bonita Springs after business hours.

Deputies eventually saw the man running out of the building and chased after him Tuesday morning. 

The city of Bonita Springs said in a statement that the door was left unlocked after cleaning crews left for the night, and it was the opening the man needed to just walk right in Tuesday morning.

A Lee County Sheriff’s Office report states a man can be seen on surveillance video entering Bonita Springs city hall after hours at around 5 a.m.

When a city employee got in 30 minutes later, she noticed the security alarm was off, saw 31-year-old Jamal Gambrel inside and called 911.

She told deputies he took off running towards Bonita Beach Road where they located him later that morning. 

Body cam footage showed the moments deputies caught up with Gambrel.

Investigators said Gambrel walked through several areas, including the City Council Chambers and the finance department, while inside the building. 

“It’s just unbelievable how easy it is to do something like that around here?” said Fernanda, a Bonita Springs resident.

Gambrel faces trespassing charges and is still being held at the Lee County Jail.

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