Fugitive arrested for 9 felonies in Hawthorne incident involving vehicle theft, armed robbery, battery, and drugs

Staff report

HAWTHORNE, Fla. – Norman Israel Colon, 46, of Interlachen, was arrested yesterday after an incident that allegedly included vehicle theft, armed robbery, battery, and drug possession; he is on probation, and the Florida Department of Corrections lists him as a fugitive.

The victim told the responding Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy that she went to a residence in Hawthorne on March 20 to pick up her father. She said that when she arrived, Colon, her former boyfriend, came out of the residence and aggressively demanded that she give him the keys to her vehicle, which she purchased in January; the deputy reported that the victim is the sole registered owner of the vehicle.

Colon allegedly brandished a pistol while demanding her keys and said he would shoot anyone who messed with him. An unidentified black male told him to put the gun away, and Colon reportedly put it in a parked vehicle but allegedly continued to demand that the victim give him her keys.

At that point, Colon allegedly offered to pay an unidentified woman $100 to “beat” the victim to get the keys. Colon and the woman approached the victim, and Colon allegedly shoved the victim to the ground. In fear for her safety, the victim said she gave him her keys.

The victim reportedly showed the deputy screenshots of texts from Colon in which he threatened to kill her if she called the police.

Colon allegedly removed the license plate from the victim’s car and replaced it with a different tag.

Deputies later reportedly found Colon sitting in the front driver’s seat of the victim’s vehicle, and he was arrested on charges related to this incident, as well as a VOP warrant out of Putnam County and another warrant out of Pennsylvania.

Deputies reportedly saw drugs and needles in plain view in the vehicle, and a probable cause search of the vehicle produced 15.34 grams of methamphetamine, 15.22 grams of cocaine, 37 suboxone strips, two Percocet pills, and two suboxone pills, along with a large quantity of a white substance that is suspected of being a cutting agent and empty plastic baggies. A Glock pistol matching the description provided by the victim was reportedly found in the trunk.

Colon has been charged with armed robbery, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, felony battery, display of a firearm during the commission of a felony, grand theft of a motor vehicle, trafficking in methamphetamines, possession of cocaine with intent to sell, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of drug equipment, and criminal solicitation. His full criminal history is unavailable, but he has at least two felony convictions out of Pennsylvania, has served one state prison sentence in Florida (released in 2022), and is currently on drug offender probation out of Putnam County. Judge Sheree Lancaster ordered him held without bail pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s Office to hold him without bail until trial; if the judge denies the motion, bail will be set at that hearing.

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.