Gainesville woman arrested for trashing friend’s apartment

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Jahiyan Elizabeth Armstrong, 23, was arrested yesterday for allegedly vandalizing a friend’s apartment after the friend gave her a place to stay for a few days.

A Gainesville Police Department officer reported that the victim returned from a trip and found her furniture (including a couch and dresser) in pieces, a broken candle and picture frames, and orange spray paint on the walls, light switch, and closet door. There were brown markings on the dining room wall, and food and cookies were scattered all over the floor. Dishes of food were sitting on the kitchen counters, the refrigerator door was left open, and kitchen items and trash were scattered all over the floor and counters. Open bottles of cleaning supplies were found throughout the apartment and appeared to have been intentionally poured on surfaces and sinks. The sheets had been removed from a mattress, and the mattress was smeared and stained with what appeared to be food and a beverage.

The victim said several items were also missing, and when she returned from her trip, several neighbors said her belongings had been scattered throughout the building’s hallway, staircase, and sidewalk, but since nobody was sure who owned the items, management had removed them.

The victim said she met Armstrong because they lived in the same building, and when Armstrong was evicted from her apartment, the victim let her stay in her apartment for a few days until she could find another place to live. She said she asked Armstrong to clean up behind herself while she was staying in the apartment, and this upset Armstrong.

The victim said she left the apartment for a few days, and when she returned on July 14, she found that the apartment had been vandalized, and Armstrong was the only other person who had been in the apartment. The damage to the victim’s belongings was estimated at $3,000, and the damage to the apartment was estimated at $500.

Armstrong has been charged with felony property damage. She has a juvenile history from 2020, one adult felony conviction (non-violent), and one adult misdemeanor conviction (non-violent); charges of armed home invasion robbery, theft, and dealing in stolen property were dropped in 2022 and 2025. Judge Susan Miller-Jones set bail at $30,000.

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.