Woman threatens to stab government employee, authorities say
Alachua County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a Gainesville woman Sunday evening after they said she assaulted a government employee.
At about 6:45 p.m. Sunday, Melanie L. Camacho, 30, flipped over a couch and knocked a woman to the floor, according to a police report.
The woman, an employee for the Department of Children and Families, was closing a case in Camacho’s apartment when Camacho became upset, according to the report.
Camacho then flipped over the couch where the woman was seated, according to the report.
As the woman crawled to the apartment’s door and tried to leave, Camacho grabbed her left arm and dragged her halfway through the front door, according to the report.
Camacho then slammed the door on the woman’s body as she lay on the floor, according to the report.
After the woman tried once more to leave, Camacho threatened her. “If I see you again, I will stab you,” she said, according to the report.
The incident was Camacho’s first criminal offense, according to Alachua County court records.
Deputies arrested Camacho on a charge of battery on a DCF employee. Authorities took her to the Alachua County Jail where she remains, as of press time, in lieu of a $10,000 bond.
Authorities say man led police on chase
Police arrested a Gainesville man Sunday night after they said he tried to escape by driving, and later running, away.
At about 6 p.m. Sunday, Dewitt L. Dailey Jr., 39, drove down Northeast 13th Street with no headlights, according to a report. When police tried to pull Dailey over, the man continued to drive through a parking lot before turning onto East University Avenue, according to the report.
Bailey obeyed all traffic laws while ignoring the wailing siren behind him. After turning onto North Waldo Road, Dailey braked and turned onto a side street. He then parked his car and started to run, according to the report.
Dailey ran through two residential yards on Northeast 14th Street before catching his breath. When police caught up with Dailey, he laid down on the porch of a house and said, “I’m done,” according to the report.
In his car, police found 1 gram of marijuana, two razor blades and about 4 grams of crack cocaine.
Police said crack because dealers typically cut large rocks with razor blades, according to the report.
Police arrested Dailey on charges of possessing cocaine with intent to sell, fleeing police, possessing under 20 grams of weed, resisting police, driving without a license and possessing drug paraphernalia.
Authorities took him to the Alachua County Jail where, as of press time, he remains in lieu of a $28,000 bond.
Police uncover burglary ring
Police arrested three South Floridians on Monday after authorities said they traveled to Gainesville to steal from cars.
Keith Williams, John Honore and Mercedes Little, all from Plantation, Florida, were found with tools used to forge credit cards and break open windows, according to a press release. Police also found a fake credit card, various gift cards and shards of glass inside the group’s rental car.
Early Monday morning, the group burglarized a car at Dogwood Park in the 5500 block of Southwest Archer Road, according to the release.
Traveling car burglars often target parks, daycares and gyms. Acting on a hunch, GPD Detective Kathy Posey drove to the Planet Fitness parking lot at 2210 NW 13th St., where she parked and waited, according to the release.
Shortly after she began her surveillance, the suspects arrived at the parking lot in a gray minivan and tried opening a few locked cars, according to the release.
Police later pulled them over in the 9300 block of NW U.S. Highway 441. Little cooperated and was released with a charge for attempted burglary, according to the release.
Police charged Williams with burglary of a conveyance, possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana and possession of burglary tools. Honore was charged with passing a forged or falsely embossed credit card and possession of credit card-making equipment. As of press time, both men remain in the Alachua County Jail without bond.
Contact Martin Vassolo at mvassolo@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @martindvassolo.
