Homeless woman arrested for vandalizing pickup truck in Alachua

Staff report

ALACHUA, Fla. – Janelle-Joy Alexandra Summers, 43, was arrested yesterday after allegedly vandalizing a pickup truck in Alachua after arguing with the vehicle’s owner.

At about 7:05 p.m. on December 8, an Alachua Police Department officer responded to a call about an armed disturbance in the parking lot of Sonny’s (15935 NW U.S. Hwy 441). The caller reportedly said there was a woman in the parking lot who was armed with a knife and was threatening to slash the tires of his vehicle.

The officer reported finding the victim in the parking lot, and the victim pointed to Summers, who was driving out of the parking lot in her vehicle. The officer detained Summers and reportedly removed a knife that was clipped into her pants.

The victim said he had dated Summers off and on for several years and had agreed to meet her at the restaurant, but when she arrived, she was “in a manic state.” He said Summers became angry and started yelling, so restaurant employees asked her to leave the dining area. The victim said Summers left but started sending him text messages, and one was a threat to slash the tires on his pickup truck.

The officer reported that there were deep scratches down one side of the truck, along with messages drawn in nail polish. One of the messages reportedly included the word “die.”

Post Miranda, Summers reportedly said she was upset with the victim and admitted that after she left the restaurant, she used a pocket knife to scratch the victim’s truck and wrote messages in nail polish.

Summers, who is described as homeless in the arrest report, has been charged with property damage over $1,000. She has an unspecified criminal history between 2021 and 2025 in other counties, but she has no criminal convictions. Judge Susan Miller-Jones set bail at $15,000 but ordered that she should be released if she is accepted to Mental Health Court; Judge Miller-Jones also ordered an evaluation for emergency mental health treatment.

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.