Gainesville man arrested for breaking into apartment and stealing drone

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Tyrone Deon Davis, 54, was arrested yesterday for allegedly breaking into a vacant apartment, stealing a drone belonging to a man who was renovating the apartment, and selling the drone.

On March 8, an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy responded to an apartment at Tower Oaks Glen, where the victim said he was hired to work on a vacant apartment and sometimes sleeps there. He said that when he returned to the apartment on March 7 after being gone for about 6 hours, he found the front door ajar; when he investigated further, he found that the door frame was damaged and some of his belongings were missing, including a drone valued at $1,000.

The victim said he believed a man named “Tyrone” might be involved; he said he had met “Tyrone” recently, and “Tyrone” asked him for one dollar on one day and asked him for a lighter and a candle on a different day. The victim said “Tyrone” was with “Christy,” and after he discovered the burglary, he went to the area where he originally met “Tyrone” and “Christy,” saw “Christy” outside, and saw his bag in the driveway of an apartment. He said the original box for the drone was in the bag, but the drone was missing. He said “Christy” said she didn’t know anything about his belongings and “Tyrone” was not home.

The deputy spoke with the victim’s neighbors, and one neighbor reportedly said he had seen an older, skinny black male enter the apartment and come out with bags of items in the early hours of March 7.

The deputy went to the apartment where the victim saw the bag in the driveway, and he reported that a woman named Christy Shaw opened the door and said Davis was upstairs.

Post Miranda, Davis reportedly denied breaking into the apartment or ever having a drone. However, he later reportedly changed his story and said he had found a bag of items in front of the victim’s apartment, took the bag, and sold the drone he “found” for $15.

Post Miranda, Shaw reportedly said Davis had come home with a bag of items two nights before, and one of those items was a drone. She said Davis sold the drone, and she pointed out the apartment of the buyer. She also said that after the victim confronted her about the theft, she found the remaining items and gave them back to the victim.

The deputy spoke with the man who bought the drone, and he reportedly said he didn’t know it was stolen and gave the drone to the deputy.

When the deputy told Davis he was going to be detained, Davis allegedly pulled away and resisted being placed into handcuffs until a second deputy displayed his taser.

A search incident to arrest reportedly produced a metal tube that tested positive for the presence of cocaine.

Davis has been charged with burglary, dealing in stolen property, possession of drug equipment, resisting an officer without violence, and misdemeanor property damage. He has 19 felony convictions (non-violent) and two misdemeanor convictions (non-violent), and he has served five state prison sentences, with his most recent release in 2019. Judge Susan Miller-Jones set bail at $66,000.

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.