Brooker man arrested for car theft and possession of a gun and drugs
Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Devonte Bill West, 30, of Brooker, was arrested last night and charged with grand theft of a motor vehicle, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, cocaine possession, MDVP possession, and marijuana possession.
At about 8:40 p.m. last night, Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputies pulled over a pickup truck that had been reported stolen and detained the driver, identified as West.
A probable cause search of the truck reportedly produced a Taurus 740 Slim handgun under the driver’s seat and a “blunt” containing MDVP next to it. A scale, 1.5 grams of marijuana, 1.4 grams of cocaine, and a “blunt” cigar containing 0.5 grams of MDVP were reportedly found in the center console.
Post Miranda, West reportedly said the truck owner’s son had asked him to go to the store and let him take the truck.
However, when the truck was reported stolen on August 21, the owner’s son reportedly told officers that nobody had permission to take the vehicle.
West has two felony convictions (none violent). He was arrested in June 2020 after borrowing a car and not returning it at the agreed-upon time; when he was pulled over, officers found cocaine, MDPV, and Gabapentin pills in the car. He was charged with four drug felonies, grand theft of a motor vehicle, and driving without a valid license, but all charges except cocaine possession were dropped. He was sentenced to 18 months of drug offender probation but violated probation after a year and spent 114 days in jail before being sentenced to 114 days in jail with credit for 114 days served.
Judge Thomas Jaworski set bail at $175,000.
Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.Â
Nice bail!
Tommy Boy must have woke up to reality.
How about some rapists? Some murderers? Some scam artists? Robbers? There have got to be some actual proven threats around Gainesville to go after. Guy’s got drugs and a weapon in case someone tries to take them. Quit messing up people’s lives because they have drugs. People CHOOSE to put drugs in their bodies. You will never stop it. There will ALWAYS be drugs and people doing them. Go after “violent for the sake of violence” criminals and people might start calling you something other than names.
That has to be the dumbest statement of the day. He is a convicted felon who is not supposed to have firearms period. These people who are only doing drugs are a huge problem in our community. When they want to finally stop taking drugs they need our tax dollars for rehab. Above all that he was iin a vehicle was was reported stolen. According to you, he is in possession of firearm so no one messes with him. If you are in a stolen vehicle the police are going to stop you. If that is what you call messing with him then you seem to be advocating violence towards law enforcement and you are a bigger problem. Maybe next time he will get some fentynal laced drugs and save the taxpayers some money.
I’m praying for my baby love you hope they get you rehab really good man and person..