Man on probation arrested for driving through neighbor’s back yard, damaging fences and furniture

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Byron Devon Lewis, 34, was arrested early yesterday morning for allegedly driving through his next-door neighbor’s back yard and damaging two sections of her fence along with furniture and other items.

A Gainesville Police Department officer responded to the 1300 block of NE 37th Place, where the victim said Lewis had intentionally driven through her back yard at about 1:07 a.m. She said he accelerated through her fence, ripping the fence out of the ground, and also hit and destroyed several pieces of lawn furniture and a child’s bicycle before accelerating through the other side of the fence, also ripping that section from the ground. The damage is estimated at about $1,300.

The victim said she had left her home in her own vehicle just seconds before the incident, and she saw Lewis driving his vehicle in front of her house. She did not see him drive into her back yard, but the officer reported that surveillance cameras on a neighboring house show Lewis driving a vehicle onto the victim’s property and through her fence and then emerging from the other side of the fence a short time later.

The officer noted that the victim’s home is fully enclosed by the fence, which is connected to her residence, and the property destroyed was within the enclosed grounds of the house, resulting in the charge of burglary of a dwelling. Lewis was also charged with felony property damage.

Lewis is on probation following a June conviction for leaving the scene of a crash involving property damage, and a Notice to Appear has been issued on a separate trespassing charge. He has three felony convictions (two violent) and three misdemeanor convictions (none violent); he has served one state prison sentence and was released in 2016. Noting that the victim and neighbors have significant safety concerns, Judge Kristine Van Vorst ordered him held without bail pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s office to hold him 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.