Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Kevin James Williams, Jr., 18, has been charged as an adult for a home invasion robbery that took place in February, when he was 17.

At about 12:10 p.m. on February 18, Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a call about a home invasion robbery in the 100 block of SE 43rd Street. A 16-year-old female victim told deputies that she looked outside the house and saw Williams with an unknown male, later identified as Jamarien Ross.

Ross allegedly entered through a rear sliding glass door with a handgun and told the victim to get in the bathroom at gunpoint. She went into the bathroom, and he allegedly shut her inside. She reportedly said she heard the two suspects talking and rummaging through items in a bedroom.

A second resident of the home arrived shortly after the two suspects left, and he said a PlayStation 5, over 20 grams of marijuana, about $4,000 in cash, and a backpack were stolen.

Deputies reportedly arrested Williams at the nearby Sunoco station as he fled the area on foot. Williams reportedly had all the stolen property with him. Post Miranda, Williams reportedly confessed to his participation in the incident and identified Ross; he reportedly said they had planned the burglary because they believed nobody was home. When they saw someone was home, Williams said, he told Ross to leave, but Ross decided to continue with the burglary.

Deputies reviewed surveillance video from the Sunoco and reportedly saw Williams interacting with Dakota Richardson there while marked patrol cars passed by with lights and sirens on. Richardson could reportedly be seen on the sidewalk as a patrol car passed, then he jogged back to the Sunoco and stopped directly in front of a camera to pull out a firearm that had apparently slipped down his leg as he jogged. He reportedly placed the firearm in his waistband, and several other cameras reportedly showed him holding an object in his waistband.

Richardson and Williams could reportedly be seen jumping the fence to a secure area behind the Sunoco, where Williams made a phone call on Richardson’s phone (the report notes that Williams told deputies he believed he had left his phone behind at the victims’ house, but the phone was later found in the backpack). When Williams left the area of the Sunoco, he was captured by deputies; Richardson was reportedly seen on surveillance video, heading back through the woods.

After a search warrant was obtained for Williams’ phone, deputies reportedly found that there were several missed calls from Ross. Videos on Williams’ phone also reportedly show Richardson wearing the same jacket shown on the Sunoco’s cameras; Richardson is also reportedly wearing the same jacket in his contact picture on Williams’ phone.

Ross was arrested on February 28 and reportedly confessed, stating that he, Williams, and Richardson met before the burglary; he said Richardson stayed at the back of the property as a “lookout” while he and Williams went inside. He said he tried to call Williams several times, but he didn’t answer; he said Williams called him on Richardson’s phone.

Williams was originally booked into the Juvenile Detention Center, but he was charged as an adult with home invasion robbery without a weapon on March 8 and transferred to the adult jail yesterday.

Williams, who is a student at Eastside High School according to court documents, has juvenile convictions between 2020 and 2024; this is his first adult charge. Judge Meshon Rawls ordered him held without bond, and prosecutors have filed a motion to have him held without bond until trial, arguing that Williams poses a threat of harm to the community.

Richardson has been charged with home invasion robbery with a firearm, false imprisonment, and accessory after the fact to a felony. He has no adult criminal convictions; Judge Phillip Pena originally set bail at $100,000, but on March 8, Judge James Colaw granted the prosecution’s motion to hold Ross without bail until trial.

Ross has been charged with home invasion robbery with a firearm and false imprisonment. He has a juvenile criminal history, and he is on probation for illegally carrying a concealed firearm. Judge Thomas Jaworski originally set bail at $550,000, but on March 8, Judge James Colaw granted the prosecution’s motion to hold Ross 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.