Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Averionna Terrial Peterson, 19, and Garyana Lyvette Smith, 24, were arrested last night after deputies responded to a call about an armed disturbance in Majestic Oaks.

At about 8:41 p.m. on March 23, multiple Alachua County Sheriff’s Office units responded to Majestic Oaks (5800 SW 20th Avenue) after a caller reported an ongoing armed disturbance in the parking lot near building A. The caller said two women were fighting and believed to be armed, possibly with a knife, although the caller was not close enough to see clearly.

When deputies arrived, they reported seeing two women walking away through the parking lot. Deputies gave multiple loud commands to stop walking, but the women allegedly ignored these commands and continued walking northbound until deputies produced tasers. Both women eventually lay down on the ground and were taken into custody.

Smith reportedly gave consent for a deputy to pat her down, and the deputy reported finding something that felt like narcotics in her pocket; Smith reportedly said it was “weed.” The deputy reported finding a suspected pistol that had fallen down Smith’s pants leg, and Smith reportedly said it was “my gun.” The deputy removed the pistol and asked Smith whether she had any felony convictions; Smith reportedly said she did, but she wasn’t sure what they were for.

A criminal history search revealed that Smith is on probation for drug possession.

Based on Smith’s admission that she had illegal substances, a probable cause search produced about 6.7 grams of marijuana, two baggies of pills, and $1,046 in cash in mostly small bills. Smith reportedly said one bag contained Percocet pills and she thought she had a prescription for them but wasn’t sure. She said the pills in the other bag were “beans” and she believed they were Ecstasy but was not positive. When the deputy asked whether Smith used any of the drugs, she reportedly responded, “No, I’m on probation.”

Smith reportedly told the deputy she had been sitting in a vehicle in the parking lot with a friend when Peterson, her ex-girlfriend, walked up and punched her. She said she got out of the vehicle and started fighting with Peterson but never took her gun out of her pants; she said she only fought because Peterson hit her first. Smith said she thought her hand was broken, and she was transported to the hospital, where medical personnel confirmed her hand was broken.

Peterson reportedly gave a false name but later accurately identified herself, at which point deputies learned that she had two active warrants, one for battery and one for violating probation.

Peterson reportedly confirmed that she and Smith had previously dated and said that Smith told her to come to Majestic Oaks. She said that when she arrived, she walked up to the vehicle where Smith was sitting, opened the door, and grabbed Smith “in a non-aggressive manner.” She said Smith pulled her into the vehicle, “swinging on her,” and hit her multiple times. She said they fought in the vehicle, on the ground outside the vehicle, and back inside the vehicle. She said Smith pulled her wig off, pistol-whipped her multiple times in the head, and choked her while saying she would kill her.

Deputies reviewed video surveillance from Majestic Oaks but reported that it cut in and out. The video reportedly showed Peterson arriving, then showed the two women wrestling while standing next to the vehicle; they separated but re-engaged several times. At one point, they could be seen wrestling on the ground but could not be seen clearly by the camera. At one point, Smith could be seen lighting Peterson’s wig on fire; deputies arrived at that point, and the women began walking away.

Peterson has been charged with resisting an officer with violence and providing false identification information to law enforcement; she was also arrested on warrants for battery from a March 2024 incident and for violating probation in a 2023 fraud case. She has juvenile convictions between 2019 and 2023, two adult felony convictions (none violent), and one adult misdemeanor conviction (non-violent), and she is on probation. Judge Meshon Rawls ordered her held without bail until the probation violation case is resolved and set bail at $2,000 in the battery case and $7,000 on the new charges.

Smith has been charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, possession of a firearm while committing a felony, two counts of possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana, and resisting an officer without violence. She has a juvenile conviction from 2017 and one felony conviction; she is on probation with two violations and is facing a Notice to Appear in a battery case from October 2024. Judge Rawls ordered her held without bail for violating probation and also on the aggravated battery charge, pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s office to hold her without bail until trial on the new charges; she set bail at $77,000 on the remaining charges.

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.