Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Christopher Antoin Holmes, Jr., 19, and Reuben Levern Williams, Jr., 18, were arrested last night after allegedly running from a traffic stop while Holmes’ vehicle rolled into a parked car. Williams, who is on probation, was charged with possession of marijuana with intent to sell and possession of hydrocodone pills without a prescription.

At about 11:30 p.m. last night, a Gainesville Police Department officer attempted a traffic stop on a car driven by Holmes for running a stop sign at 500 NE 15th Street. The officer reported that the car passed several safe places to stop, then turned into a parking lot in the 1700 block of NE 23rd Avenue, where both the driver and passenger jumped out of the car and ran; the vehicle, which was still in Drive, reportedly rolled into an unoccupied parked vehicle, causing about $500 in damage.

The officer reportedly chased the two suspects, giving them commands to stop; they allegedly ran but were eventually located.

A search of the vehicle reportedly produced several small clear plastic bags containing about 30 grams of marijuana on Holmes’ side of the vehicle. The officer noted that Holmes has a medical marijuana card, but the marijuana was not properly stored in labeled containers as required by law. The search also reportedly produced a backpack on the back seat containing several labeled containers for Holmes’ prescribed marijuana, along with more empty plastic bags. The officer noted that Holmes appeared to be buying legal marijuana and repackaging it for sale, but Holmes was not charged with any drug offenses.

The search also reportedly produced a large clear plastic bag with 28.9 grams of marijuana on Williams’ side of the vehicle, along with five hydrocodone pills wrapped in a napkin.

Post Miranda, Holmes reportedly admitted he was driving the car and admitted that he saw the officer’s lights and sirens but decided not to stop; he reportedly admitted that he jumped out of the vehicle and was aware that it had crashed into another car. He reportedly said he ran because he did not want to go to jail and the marijuana in labeled containers belonged to him, adding that he also “may have had” marijuana in sandwich bags.

Holmes has been charged with fleeing an officer with lights and sirens active, hit and run – leaving the scene of a crash involving property damage, and resisting an officer without violence. He has no criminal history; Judge Susan Miller-Jones set bail at $82,500.

The officer reported that Williams made no statements post Miranda because he was throwing up.

Williams has been charged with possession of more than 20 grams of marijuana, possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, and resisting an officer without violence. He has a juvenile conviction from 2022 and was sentenced to two years of probation on February 5 for burglary of an unoccupied vehicle. Adjudication of guilt was withheld on the charge, and a condition of the plea deal was that he remain a student or obtain full-time employment; court documents filed today indicate “None” for school or employment. Williams has not yet been charged with violation of probation, and Judge Miller-Jones set bail at $17,000 on the new 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.