Man arrested after allegedly refusing to return car and then crashing it

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Calvin Dewing Griffin, 54, was arrested last night after allegedly refusing to return a car he had taken to get washed and then crashing it in a parking lot. He was also charged with possession of marijuana and drug equipment.

The victim told a Gainesville Police Officer that she let Griffin take her car to the car wash at about 5:20 p.m., with instructions to get it washed and bring it right back. Griffin allegedly took the car to the car wash but did not return it to the owner and did not answer the phone when she called him multiple times.

After an officer responded to a parking lot crash in which the victim’s vehicle had hit a concrete pole, a witness reportedly told the officer that Griffin had been driving the vehicle in the parking lot and had swerved into the pole.

While conducting a search incident to Griffin’s arrest, the officer reported finding about 0.5 grams of marijuana and a glass pipe that is commonly used to smoke crack cocaine. The victim reportedly said that the drugs and crack pipe belonged to Griffin.

Griffin has 10 felony convictions and 25 misdemeanor convictions; he has served five state prison terms, with the most recent release in February of 2019. He also has an unknown number of out-of-county convictions between 1989 and 2017. He served 60 days in the Alachua County Jail in 2021 for possession of drug equipment.

He has been charged with grand theft auto, possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana, and possession of drug equipment. He is being held on $25,000 bond.

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.