Homeless woman arrested for burglary, criminal mischief, and drug possession

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Peggy Elerby, 36, whose address is listed as GRACE Marketplace, was arrested late last night after allegedly entering the victim’s apartment uninvited, then refusing to leave; she then allegedly broke the victim’s glasses.

The victim reportedly told a Gainesville Police Officer that he and Elerby do not know each other, but Elerby entered his unlocked apartment uninvited and started asking him to give her money. She allegedly refused to leave after he asked her to leave, then threw his prescription glasses on the floor and stomped on them, breaking the glasses.

A neighbor of the victim was in the apartment at the time and told the officer that she saw Elerby enter the apartment, that she refused to leave after being asked, and that she broke the victim’s glasses.

Elerby was eventually found hiding in a closet at Windsor Terrace Apartments, reportedly with the permission of the apartment’s occupant.

Post Miranda, Elerby reportedly said she was never in the victim’s home, but officers saw her in the area of the victim’s apartment before she was found and arrested. On the way to the jail, she reportedly said that the victim owes her money.

In a search incident to arrest, officers reportedly found two glass pipes with residue on them, and Elerby reportedly admitted that she uses them to smoke marijuana and synthetic spices. She also reportedly said that she hasn’t slept since December 17 because of the drugs she has been taking.

Elerby was previously arrested in November 2021 for hitting and cutting two other homeless people, but those charges were eventually dropped. She was arrested again in April 2022 for hitting a woman and was also charged with five counts of battery on a law enforcement officer. She remained in jail with bail set at $300,000 while awaiting trial and entered a plea of nolo contendere to two counts of battery on a law enforcement officer in July; she was sentenced to two concurrent terms of 270 days in jail with credit for 90 days served.

Elerby has been charged with burglary of an occupied dwelling, property damage over $200, and possession of drug equipment. She has three felony convictions and an active warrant from Georgia; Judge Susan Miller-Jones set bail at $211,000.

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.