Man arrested for carjacking, battery, and using a police scanner to avoid deputies

Staff report

Updated on December 3 with pre-trial detention information.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Rakeem Lizel Calhoun, 37, was arrested early this morning after allegedly stealing his girlfriend’s car, hitting her, taking her cell phone, and attempting to elude law enforcement by listening to a police scanner.

According to a responding Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy, at about 8 p.m. on November 27, the victim and Calhoun were in the victim’s car when Calhoun began hitting the dashboard; the victim pulled into a parking lot and got out of the car, but Calhoun allegedly grabbed her and then grabbed her wallet and phone before telling the victim he would crash her car and driving away in her car.

The deputy reported that surveillance video showed Calhoun battering the victim.

While deputies were searching for Calhoun, they learned that he was listening to police scanner radio traffic to avoid apprehension.

Post Miranda, Calhoun reportedly admitted to taking the car and saying he would crash it; he also reportedly admitted to snatching the victim’s phone, but he denied “being physical” with the victim.

Calhoun has been charged with unarmed carjacking, depriving a victim of communication with law enforcement, battery with a previous battery conviction, using a two-way communications device to facilitate a felony, and using information from police radio communications to avoid apprehension.

Calhoun has also been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and false imprisonment after the victim reported a separate incident on the same date; the victim said Calhoun implied he had firearms in the car and told her he would kill her if she got out of the car.

Calhoun’s full criminal history is unavailable, but he has extensive convictions in Putnam County, going back to 2006. Three sworn complaints have been filed against him in Alachua County since September 2024, including allegations of robbery, robbery by sudden snatching, and an aggravated battery that left the victim with broken facial bones, but all of the charges were later dropped.

Judge Meshon Rawls ordered him held without bail pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s office to hold him without bail until trial. On December 3, Judge Denise Ferrero granted the motion, and Calhoun will be held without bail until trial.

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.