A Florida man who terrified a young girl inside a sandwich shop won’t be spending any more time behind bars.
Authorities say 34-year-old James Anthony Morris Jr pleaded guilty to child abuse on April 30, stemming from a disturbing incident at a Subway restaurant in Jacksonville last summer.
The case dates back to July 21, 2025, when Morris was working as the store manager. According to police, a customer’s 10-year-old daughter accidentally walked across a freshly cleaned section of the floor.
What happened next shocked everyone involved.
After the girl’s mother told her to apologize, Morris allegedly grabbed the child and locked her inside a back room. At first, the mother thought he was joking — until she tried to open the door and realized it was being held shut.
Police say Morris pushed the door closed while the girl was inside, keeping her locked in for about two minutes as her mother struggled to get her out.
The child later told officers she was terrified and believed she was being kidnapped.
While she was trapped, Morris allegedly yelled at her, calling her parents “trash” and “terrible people.”
The mother was eventually able to free her daughter and immediately called police. Morris was arrested at the scene but later bonded out of jail.
Nearly a year later, the case has come to an end.
Morris pleaded guilty to one count of child abuse and was sentenced to two days in jail — time he had already served — meaning he will not return to custody. He was also given three years of probation and ordered to stay away from the girl and her mother.
In addition, he must undergo both a mental health evaluation and a substance abuse assessment, and pay $769 in court costs.