Staff report

ALACHUA, Fla. – Cerica Pope Green, 43, was arrested last night and charged with burglary of an occupied vehicle, battery, and interfering with the custody of a minor after allegedly entering the car of her grandchild’s mother and trying to take the child.

At about 7:15 p.m. last night, an Alachua Police Department officer responded to the Taco Bell in Alachua, where the victim said Green had tried to take her 17-day-old infant.

The officer reported that Green had driven from Jacksonville because she believed the victim has a drinking problem and is unfit to care for her children. Green, the grandmother of the child, allegedly found the victim sitting in the back seat of a vehicle at Taco Bell, opened the back door, reached into the back seat, and then grabbed the victim and tried to pull her out of the car.

When Green was unable to pull the victim out of the vehicle, she allegedly unbuckled the infant’s car seat in an attempt to take the infant, but she reportedly gave up after several minutes of struggling with the infant’s mother because people had come out of the restaurant to assist the infant’s mother.

The officer reported that Green has no custody rights to the infant.

The victim reportedly sustained minor injuries during the struggle.

Green has no criminal history; Judge Kristine Van Vorst set bail at $10,000 and ordered her to have no contact with the victim or any minor under 18 years of age.

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.