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Staff Report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Jacob William Daniel Cruz, a 25-year-old from Longview, Texas, found himself in custody last night. This arrest followed an incident where an officer discovered he was driving without a valid license and had both illegal drugs and an AR-15 rifle inside his vehicle.
Around 10:56 p.m. on February 11, a Gainesville Police Department officer initiated a traffic stop. The car, displaying Texas plates, had failed to halt properly at a stop sign located in the 3100 block of NE 15th Street.
The officer observed Cruz behind the wheel, with a passenger seated beside him, and noticed an AR-15 rifle visibly positioned vertically in the center of the back seat. When asked for his driver’s license, Cruz reportedly couldn’t provide one. Upon inquiry about illegal substances, Cruz allegedly handed over a THC pre-rolled marijuana joint and a THC pen, with the joint weighing approximately 1.5 grams excluding its container.
Cruz admitted he did not possess a medical marijuana card. This admission, coupled with the marijuana, provided probable cause for a vehicle search. During the search, another THC pen was reportedly found beneath the passenger seat. Cruz claimed ownership of the vehicle, while the passenger insisted the THC pen was neither his nor known to him.
Post Miranda, Cruz reportedly said the THC pens, pre-rolled joint, and rifle were his; he said he knew he did not have a valid driver’s license because he was charged with driving under the influence in Texas.
The officer noted that possession of any THC derivative that is not the bud itself is a felony in Florida.
Cruz has been charged with possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, two counts of possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana, and knowingly driving without a valid license. He has an unspecified criminal history in Texas between 2018 and 2024. Judge Susan Miller-Jones set bail at $64,000.
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.