25-year-old with 6 felony convictions arrested with gun in stolen vehicle

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

Marcus Trymory Miller, 25, was arrested yesterday on charges of carrying an unlicensed concealed firearm, displaying a firearm during a felony, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, grand theft of a motor vehicle, and operating a motor vehicle without a valid license.

The incident began at 2:18 p.m., when an Alachua County Sheriff’s Office deputy was notified of a stolen vehicle in the area he was patrolling. He observed a silver Nissan Versa traveling south on Waldo Road in the area of NE 8th Avenue and caught up to it at the intersection of SE 16th Avenue and SE Williston Road. He called in the tag number and confirmed that the vehicle had been reported stolen. There were four people in the vehicle, so the deputy noted that he intended to follow it until backup arrived.

However, the Nissan pulled into a gas station at 1720 S Main Street, so the deputy followed it, blocked it in, activated his lights, and removed the driver at gunpoint.

The driver was identified as Marcus Miller, who reportedly told the deputy that he had received a phone call from someone named “Michael,” who then picked him up and agreed to let him have the Nissan for an hour in exchange for $20, as long as he cleaned it out.

The deputy reported that there was a 9mm pistol in the driver door pocket, readily accessible to Miller. Post Miranda, Miller reportedly said that he didn’t know the gun was in the car before he was stopped, but he also said that he had removed it from under the seat and placed it in the door pocket when he saw that he was being followed by law enforcement. A sandwich bag with a “green leafy substance” was also found during the search of the car, and Miller reportedly identified this as “spice,” but a field test did not positively identify the substance, so it will be sent to a lab.

Miller has never been issued a driver’s license. He is a six-time convicted felon, with the most recent conviction in Marion County.

The victim in the stolen vehicle charge is listed as Amy Lauren Medina, who has been in the Alachua County Jail since November 8 on charges of attempting to stab her ex-boyfriend and a 14-year-old girl. The adult victim in that case is listed as Michael Martell Smith, who has a pending stolen vehicle charge (a Dodge Challenger) from October and whose occupation is listed on his most recent arrest report as “drug dealer.” Miller’s arrest report notes that “Michael” is a suspect in the case regarding Medina’s stolen Nissan.