Man arrested after stalking shoppers at Marathon Publix with knife

A routine grocery stop at the Marathon Publix turned into a frightening public-safety call Wednesday evening when deputies said John Paul Roberts shadowed shoppers, followed one customer into the parking lot and carried a sheathed knife. At least one customer ran from the store as the scene escalated inside one of Marathon’s busiest retail corridors on Overseas Highway.

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were called to the Publix around 7 p.m. after several shoppers reported that Roberts repeatedly made eye contact with them, trailed them around the store and then kept following them outside. Witnesses said the behavior made people feel watched and pursued inside Store No. 575 at 5407 Overseas Hwy, a location that includes a grocery store, pharmacy and liquor store and stays open until 10 p.m.

One customer ran from the store and Roberts followed him, according to the reports. Another witness said Roberts was also kicking and swatting at chickens outside the store, adding to the disorder outside the entrance. Deputies later reviewed security video that reportedly matched what shoppers described.

Roberts, 50, of Umatilla, Florida, was arrested at 8:48 p.m. at 5407 Overseas Hwy. The sheriff’s booking log lists stalking and resisting an officer as the charges. News reports also said he was charged with disturbing the peace and obstruction for failing to identify himself to law enforcement. He was taken to jail with no bond.

No injuries were reported, but the case quickly pulled in shoppers, deputies and bystanders at a familiar Marathon storefront just off one of the Keys’ main traffic arteries. For Monroe County residents, the episode was a reminder that an ordinary stop for groceries can turn into a police incident in minutes when a person is seen following customers while armed, and that the sheriff’s office is treating the arrest as a criminal case now moving through the courts.