Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Noah Ralpheal Hayes, 19, was arrested yesterday after allegedly fleeing from officers who were trying to arrest him on warrants; he allegedly dropped a firearm on his flight path.

A warrant for Hayes’ arrest was issued after Gainesville Police Department officers developed him as a suspect in 16 car burglaries in the Sorority Row area on December 2, and at about 2:45 p.m. yesterday, officers saw him walking westbound on NW 16th Avenue, approaching NW 13th Street. Officers told him to stop, but he allegedly grabbed his waistband and ran. He crossed NW 16th Avenue into the CVS parking lot, then jumped a stone wall leading to Sunset Apartments. On the other side of the wall, officers reportedly found a Glock 43-X with an extended magazine, loaded with 18 bullets. Hayes was reportedly found in the laundry room at Sunset Apartments. The arresting officer reported that a social media post on Christmas day showed Hayes holding the same firearm, which had a distinctive sticker.

A search incident to arrest reportedly produced 2.2 grams of marijuana.

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Hayes has been charged with resisting an officer, possession of a concealed weapon by a convicted felon, and possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana. He was also arrested on warrants for burglary of an unoccupied conveyance, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, petit theft, grand theft, and violation of probation. He is on probation for grand theft of a firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and carrying a concealed firearm without a permit; he was 17 at the time, and that arrest occurred six days after he was released on his own recognizance on a burglary charge. After an open plea that stated the maximum penalty for those charges was 20 years, he was sentenced to 22 months in prison, followed by 36 months of probation, by Judge Phillip Pena. He was released from prison on October 1 and allegedly violated his probation on December 2 by committing the 16 car burglaries.

On top of the warrants, he has 15 sworn complaints filed against him: fourteen are for the December 2 burglaries, and one is for domestic battery.

Hayes has juvenile convictions between 2017 and 2021, five adult felony convictions (none violent), and one adult misdemeanor conviction (none violent). Judge Meshon Rawls ordered him held without bail for violating probation and for the burglary charges and set bail at $56,000 on yesterday’s 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.