Homeless man arrested after allegedly breaking window, damaging taillight, and threatening to kill man with knife

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Jackson Telusma, 33, was arrested yesterday after allegedly breaking a window, damaging a taillight on a pickup truck, and threatening to kill a man with a knife.

At about 9:50 p.m. on December 28, an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy responded to a home in the Palms of Archer Mobile Home Park (7117 SW Archer Road), where the occupants of the home said Telusma had lived there for a few months but no longer lives there and is currently homeless. The victims reportedly said Telusma gets drunk every day and “rages.”

A woman who lives in the home said she spoke to Telusma through her bedroom window at about 9:30 p.m., and he said he was looking for his phone but could not find it. A short time later, she heard the window break. Another female occupant of the home said she heard the glass breaking, went to see what was happening, and saw Telusma standing outside the window. She said she yelled at him to leave, and he ran away.

The deputy reported that the window was shattered and estimated the damage at about $100.

The deputy noted that at about the time of the incident, he had been on patrol in the mobile home park and had seen a man matching Telusma’s description walking very fast near the home where the window had been broken.

A male occupant of the home said that after the window was broken, he found Telusma and confronted him, asking him why he broke the window. He said that he and Telusma argued, and Telusma started threatening to kill him, with phrases like, “I’ll cut you,” “I’ll stab you,” and “I’m gonna kill you.” The victim said he decided to leave, but then Telusma pulled a knife out of his backpack, approached him, and stabbed his pickup truck, damaging a taillight. The deputy noted that the truck had a broken taillight, and he estimated the damage at $50.

The male victim said he told Telusma he had a gun for protection, although he said he never displayed a gun, and he said Telusma said he didn’t care and would still kill him.

The deputy reportedly found Telusma in the 6400 block of SW Archer Road at about 11 p.m., and Telusma stated spontaneously, “She’s lying.” A search incident to arrest reportedly produced a folding pocket knife in Telusma’s pants pocket.

Post Miranda, Telusma reportedly said at first that nothing had happened and he had not spoken with anyone that evening. He later reportedly said that he had spoken with a woman through the window and with the male victim, and he admitted to punching the window because he was upset. He said he never stabbed the pickup truck or threatened the male victim; he denied pulling out a knife and said he did not have a knife, even though the deputy had just taken one from his pocket. He reportedly said the male victim had threatened to shoot him, but he also said he never saw the male victim with a gun.

Telusma has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and two counts of misdemeanor property damage. He has no criminal history, and Judge Adam Lee set bail at $75,000.

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.