Career Offender arrested for stealing friend’s car

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Jontavious Lanard Alston, 27, was arrested yesterday and charged with grand theft of a vehicle after allegedly stealing a car from a friend while he slept.

The victim said he met Alston a few weeks ago, and they occasionally met at the victim’s hotel room to drink and smoke. The victim said Alston had come to his hotel room at about 6 a.m. on September 1, then the victim fell asleep. When he woke up for work in the evening, he said, his car (owned by his grandmother) was gone. He said he also realized that the car keys, which had been in his pants pocket, were missing. The victim said he tried to contact Alston multiple times but was unsuccessful; Alston was arrested yesterday morning and was cited for driving without a valid license at the time of his arrest.

Alston, a designated Career Offender, has a juvenile criminal history, two felony convictions (none violent), and two misdemeanor convictions (none violent). He has served two state prison sentences, with his most recent release in March 2023. Judge Susan Miller-Jones set bail at $20,000.

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.