Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Shameka Shontel Washington, 42, was arrested yesterday morning and charged with trespassing and marijuana possession after a leasing agent reported that she was sleeping in a vacant house; she was also arrested on a warrant for failing to appear at a court hearing in a previous felony case.

At about 11:15 a.m. yesterday, a Gainesville Police Department officer responded to a call from a leasing agent of a house in the 500 block of SW 2nd Street, reporting that Washington was inside the house without permission. Washington was previously trespassed from the property in September 2023.

The officer reported that Washington was inside the house and had set up a makeshift bed on the floor of a bedroom.

A search incident to arrest reportedly produced about a gram of marijuana.

Washington was previously arrested in April 2023 for stabbing a family member, and bail was set at $15,000. She was released on her own recognizance in May after prosecutors failed to file charges; formal charges were later filed in July. A warrant for her arrest was issued in February when she failed to appear at a court hearing.

Washington has four misdemeanor convictions (two violent). Judge Susan Miller-Jones set bail at $15,000 for the previous felony charge and $2,500 for the new misdemeanor 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.