Man on probation arrested for burglary of vacant apartment

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Dennis Claude Coleman, Jr., 19, was arrested yesterday morning and charged with burglary of an unoccupied dwelling; he was also booked on an arrest warrant for violating probation.

An Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy responded to an apartment in Majestic Oaks (5800 SW 20th Avenue) on February 2 and found that the outside pane of a back window had been broken, but the inside pane was intact. There was nobody inside the apartment, and the window was secured before the deputy left.

The next day, a deputy responded to a call about someone trying to break into the same apartment. The deputy found the same window completely broken, with the glass brushed away from the frame. Deputies entered the apartment and reportedly found Coleman inside; he reportedly said he was there to meet a friend.

A search incident to arrest reportedly produced 14 Adderall pills, 2.27 grams of cocaine, and tobacco blunts with cocaine inside the wrapper.

Coleman has been charged with burglary of an occupied building and two counts of possession of a controlled substance.

Coleman was also wanted on a warrant for violating probation.

Coleman was arrested in February 2023 for stealing and pawning items from an apartment, including a PlayStation. He was released on his own recognizance but soon violated his pre-trial release conditions by failing to contact Court Services as required. He was re-arrested in April and again released on his own recognizance. He failed to appear at a court date a week later and was arrested again in June. He entered into a plea agreement in July for 18 months of probation, with adjudication of guilt withheld. He failed to report to his probation officer, and a warrant for his arrest was issued in September.

He was arrested again in October 2023 and charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession of alcohol by an individual under 21. He was sentenced to 18 days of jail, with credit for 18 days served, plus two years of probation.

He was also sentenced to 61 days of jail in the first case for violating probation, with credit for 61 days served.

He again failed to report to his probation officer and did not appear to be living at the address he reported for his residence, so another warrant for his arrest was issued in January for violating probation. The affidavit filed by his probation officer stated, “On 11/15/2023, this officer went over the offender’s Drug Offender Orders thoroughly so the offender would succeed this time concerning [probation] as this is the offender’s second time on [probation].”

Coleman has two felony convictions (none violent). He is being held without bail.

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.