James Anthony Morris Jr., a former Subway manager in Jacksonville, Florida, has avoided additional prison time after pleading guilty to child abuse. The incident involved locking a 10-year-old girl in a back room following a minor spill. He received probation and evaluations as part of the sentence.
On July 21, 2025, James Anthony Morris Jr., then 34 and manager at a Subway restaurant in Jacksonville, Florida, locked a customer's 10-year-old daughter in a back room after she walked across a freshly cleaned floor. The girl's mother instructed her to apologize, but Morris grabbed the child and secured the door. The mother initially thought it was a joke, but Morris pushed the door closed when she approached, keeping the girl inside for about two minutes as she fought to free her daughter. Inside, Morris told the girl her parents were 'trash and terrible people,' leaving the child 'really scared and thought she was being kidnapped,' according to her statement to police. The mother eventually retrieved her daughter and called authorities, leading to Morris's arrest at the scene, though he bonded out soon after refusing to speak with officers. Less than a year later, on April 30, 2026, Morris pleaded guilty to one count of child abuse, down from an initial charge of false imprisonment of a child under 13. Judge sentenced him to two days in jail with credit for time served, meaning no further incarceration. He must serve three years' probation, avoid contact with the victim and her mother, undergo mental and substance abuse evaluations, and pay $769 in court fees.