Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Gussie Mae Hale, 62, and Calvin Lee Taylor, 70, were arrested early this morning for allegedly trying to break into a house in the Duval Heights neighborhood.

At about 2:49 a.m. on April 22, a Gainesville Police Department officer responded to a home in the 2400 block of NE 3rd Place, where the occupant saw two people on surveillance video, trying to pry her screen off her window. When the officer arrived, he saw two people at the back door of the house, trying to pry it open with a screwdriver. Hale reportedly threw the screwdriver on the ground when she saw the officer.

The officer reported that there were scratches on the rear door lock, consistent with being pried open with a screwdriver, and the window screen was bent.

Post Miranda, Hale reportedly said she and Taylor went to the house so she could get shoes from her cousin, but the occupant of the home said she didn’t know either one of the suspects. Hale reportedly said that when her cousin did not answer the door, she and Taylor tried to pry the back door open with a screwdriver; she said her cousin did not know she was coming and did not give her permission to go inside, but she intended to get some shoes. She reportedly said Taylor gave her the screwdriver, but she was the one who tried to pry the rear door open. She denied causing any damage to the window screen.

Surveillance video reportedly showed that Hale had not knocked on the door or made any attempt to contact the home’s occupant but instead put a sock on her hand as a glove, looked into windows, and tried to pry open the window and door. After Hale saw the video, she reportedly refused to answer any more questions.

Post Miranda, Taylor reportedly said Hale told him she was going to get shoes, but he didn’t know whose house it was. He said they didn’t knock or try to make contact with the home’s occupant but walked straight to the back, where Hale used a screwdriver to try to pry the back door open. He said he told Hale they should leave because he didn’t want to get into trouble, but then the officer arrived.

After the officer showed him the video, he reportedly acknowledged that he gave Hale a sock to put on her hand and stood by while she tried to break into the house. He later reportedly said he didn’t know what had happened, although he had previously said he knew Hale was trying to break into the house.

A search of Hale incident to arrest reportedly produced a glass “crack pipe.”

Hale has been charged with burglary of an occupied dwelling, possession of burglary tools, and possession of drug paraphernalia. She has five felony convictions (non-violent) and 10 misdemeanor convictions (non-violent); she has served one state prison sentence and was released in 2009. Judge Kristine Van Vorst ordered her held without bail on the burglary charge, pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s office to hold her without bail until trial; she set bail at $30,000 on the other charges.

Taylor has been charged with burglary of an occupied dwelling. He has five felony convictions (one violent) and 18 misdemeanor convictions (one violent); he has served two state prison sentences, with his most recent release in 2000. Judge Kristine Van Vorst ordered him held without bail on the burglary charge, 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.