Woman charged with felony insurance fraud following road rage incident

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Desiree Laquanda Mitchell, 29, was arrested this morning and charged with filing a false insurance claim, making a false report to the police, and felony battery.

The sworn complaint against Mitchell alleges that Terrance Delvion Kalip Davis, 31, who was arrested on August 16, was driving Mitchell’s car on November 26, 2021, when he followed another car off the exit ramp “in an apparent road rage” and crashed into his car. The victim reportedly said the car then crashed into his vehicle again, seemingly on purpose. The victim said Davis exited the car and punched him through his open window, at which point the victim got out of his car and began fighting with Davis. The victim also said Mitchell had a stun gun and that Davis took it from her and used it to Tase the victim. The victim said he was also bitten by Davis and that Davis took his watch from his wrist and threw it in Mitchell’s car. Davis then reportedly got back into Mitchell’s car and drove away.

The officer reported that the victims were able to give him a tag number; he tracked it with the license plate reader system and spoke with Mitchell. Mitchell reportedly told him that she had completed a crash self-report, and she emailed him a copy of it. The submitted report said she was the driver of her car on that night and that she was crashed into by the victim. Mitchell reportedly wrote in the crash report narrative that a man and woman got out of the car, “loud and upset,” and that she feared confrontation and left the scene. Her vehicle was reportedly declared a total loss by her insurance company.

In a follow-up phone call, Mitchell reportedly told the officer that there was no physical confrontation and that only she, her 13-year-old nephew, and a dog were in her vehicle. She reportedly specifically said that there was no man in her car and that she did not possess a Taser.

The officer also reported listening to three 911 calls from citizens reporting the incident. Two of these reported three to four people fighting, which the officer believed was most consistent with the victim’s story and his investigation. However, the third call came in several hours after the incident and identified the victim’s car as the aggressor, saying there was no physical altercation. That caller also reportedly said that the female driver of Mitchell’s car appeared afraid and drove away. The officer wrote that this account was not consistent with either the victim’s account or the other two 911 callers. The officer also wrote that he found it odd that the third person asked to be updated on the investigation and the outcome.

The officer wrote that his investigation found that the third caller’s phone number was listed “many times” on Mitchell’s phone records in that time period and that the phone number belonged to Davis.

Mitchell has been charged with felony battery, making a false crash report, and insurance fraud. She has written a letter to the Court, reiterating her story that there was no man in her car, the other car was the aggressor, and that she left the scene because the victim and his passenger got out of their car and she was afraid because it was after midnight and she was responsible for a child’s safety.

A warrant for Mitchell’s arrest was issued on August 10, with a recommended total bond of $35,000, but she was released on her own recognizance following her arrest.

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.