A Florida Subway manager is facing criminal charges after allegedly locking a 10-year-old girl in a back room and berating her over a freshly mopped floor — an encounter so disturbing, the child believed she was being kidnapped.

The suspect, James Anthony Morris Jr., 33, was arrested on July 21 at the Subway location on Argyle Forest Boulevard in Jacksonville. He now faces one count of false imprisonment of a child under 13, a third-degree felony under Florida law.

A Sandwich Shop Nightmare

The ordeal began when the girl entered the Subway with her mother and stepped on a section of the floor Morris had just mopped. According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office arrest report, the mother asked her daughter to apologize — a moment that took a dark turn.

Instead of accepting the apology, Morris allegedly grabbed the girl by the hand, marched her to the back of the store, and locked her in a room for approximately two minutes.

“She said he gripped her hand tighter and told her her parents were ‘trash and terrible people,’” the police report reads. The child later told officers she was “really scared” and feared she was being abducted. “She thought she was being kidnapped,” the report continues.

Mother’s Panic Turns Physical

At first, the girl’s mother reportedly assumed Morris was just joking. But when the door wouldn’t open and she heard her daughter crying, panic set in. When she tried to open the door, Morris allegedly shoved it closed, triggering a physical confrontation between the Subway manager and the girl’s frantic mother.

Another employee heard the shouting and rushed to help. According to that worker’s statement, Morris had “snatched the girl” and was acting “weird.” The second employee managed to help free the child.

Police said no sexual contact occurred, and the girl confirmed she did not know Morris prior to the incident.

Silent Suspect, Serious Charge

Morris refused to give a statement to police after his arrest. He was booked into the Duval County Jail, then later released on bond. He is due back in court on August 13.

The incident has sparked outrage in the Jacksonville community, especially among parents.

“What kind of grown man locks a little girl in a room because she walked on a wet floor?” said neighborhood resident Lisa Caldwell, a mother of three. “It’s disgusting and unhinged.”

Subway Silent So Far

Subway corporate has yet to release an official statement, and it remains unclear whether Morris is still employed at the sandwich chain.

Legal experts say Morris could face up to five years in prison if convicted of the felony charge. Florida statutes define false imprisonment of a child under 13 as a serious offense, especially when force or threats are involved.

For now, one thing is clear: what should have been a routine trip for lunch turned into a traumatic episode for a young child — all because of a wet floor and an alleged abuse of authority behind the counter.

“He had no right,” the girl reportedly told officers. “I was just getting lunch with my mom.”