Three arrested following traffic stop outside Turkey Creek

Staff report

ALACHUA, Fla. – Javontea Antonio Black, 27; Jessica Renee Clower, 37; and Larissa Nakesha O’Neal, 39, were arrested late Tuesday night following a traffic stop outside Turkey Creek.

The arrest reports do not disclose the reason for the traffic stop, but a Florida Highway Patrol Trooper reported that a strong odor of marijuana came from the inside of the vehicle. O’Neal was the driver, Black was the front passenger, and Clower was in the back seat. A probable cause search of the vehicle was initiated, based on the odor of marijuana.

A trooper asked Black to get out of the vehicle and walk back to a patrol vehicle to be searched; he reported that once he removed Black’s wallet from his pocket, Black started swearing and pulling away. As the trooper gave commands to stop resisting, Black allegedly continued to pull away and walked back toward the vehicle he had arrived in. A second trooper reportedly came over to assist, but Black allegedly continued to resist, even after being tasered. Once on the ground, Black allegedly continued to resist, and a baggie reportedly fell out of his waistband. The substance in the bag tested positive for cocaine and weighed about 2.3 grams. A search of Black incident to arrest reportedly produced over $3,000 in cash in denominations consistent with narcotics sales.

A trooper was reportedly injured while trying to detain Black and required medical treatment.

While troopers were trying to detain Black, O’Neal allegedly got out of the vehicle and tried to block a taser from striking Black. A trooper told O’Neal to back away, but she allegedly did not comply. Once Black was on the ground, O’Neal allegedly got on top of him and tried to pull the Taser strings off him while yelling, “Stop!” O’Neal again allegedly refused a command to back away and was physically removed from Black.

A search of the vehicle reportedly produced a baggie of cocaine in O’Neal’s wallet and a THC vape pen next to Clower. None of the vehicle’s occupants had medical marijuana cards.

Black has been charged with cocaine possession with intent to sell and resisting arrest without violence. He has seven felony convictions (two violent) and one violent misdemeanor conviction and has served one state prison sentence. He is on pre-trial release from an October 2022 domestic battery case in which he allegedly pointed a gun at his girlfriend and threatened to kill her. Bail was originally set at $700,000, but after prosecutors filed a single formal charge of felony battery as a repeat offender, dropping three gun charges and two domestic battery charges, he posted bail of $50,000 and was released. Judge Thomas Jaworski set bail at $60,000 on the new charges.

Clower has been charged with possession of a controlled substance. She has no criminal history and was released on her own recognizance.

O’Neal has been charged with possession of cocaine with intent to sell and resisting arrest without violence. She has two misdemeanor convictions, and Judge Thomas Jaworski released her on her own recognizance.

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.