Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Rejoice Shanetta Clayton, 24, and Da’niel McClendon, 19, were arrested yesterday for burglary and the theft of four firearms; K’aliyah Johnson, 16, was also arrested and charged as a juvenile.

At 5 p.m. on April 11, the victim returned to his apartment at Alsander GNV (1900 SW 13th Street) and found that four firearms were missing – two pistols (a Glock and a Canik) and two rifles, worth between $500 and $700 each.

A Gainesville Police Department detective reviewed surveillance video from the apartment complex and saw three suspects enter the victim’s apartment at 12:20 p.m. on April 10. Three minutes later, the suspects left, carrying a Glock pistol case and a large plastic bag that was overflowing with items.

About two hours later, the same three suspects returned and tried again to enter the apartment, but a roommate of the victim was there, so they left. The detective was able to see part of a temporary tag number on the vehicle they were using.

The detective sent pictures from the surveillance video to the victim, and he identified Clayton, who drives the same type of vehicle seen at the victim’s complex; that vehicle was issued a temporary tag that matched the partial number seen on the surveillance video.

The detective contacted the lienholder of the vehicle, who provided a GPS location for the vehicle at Sweetwater Square Apartments (3501 NE 15th Street). The detective found the vehicle parked outside Building W.

Residents in the area pointed the detective toward two apartments; outside one of them, the detective spoke with a woman who identified two of the suspects as Johnson and McClendon. Clayton was reportedly found sleeping inside the other apartment, and all three were arrested.

McClendon reportedly said he had one of the pistols in his apartment, and he walked with the detective to his apartment and pointed out a backpack hidden in a closet; the stolen Canik pistol was reportedly found inside the backpack.

Post Miranda, Clayton reportedly admitted that she had gone to the victim’s apartment and had stolen the firearms. She said she was “tricked” into doing it by the victim’s cousin, who is also the leaseholder for the victim’s apartment. She said the victim’s cousin told her to go inside and take the items and then had her drive to Polk County, where she gave him the two rifles. She said she had proof of this in messages on her phone, but it was reportedly damaged.

Clayton has been charged with armed burglary of a dwelling and four counts of grand theft of a firearm. She has one felony conviction (non-violent) and is on probation in that case. Judge William Davis ordered her held without bail on the armed burglary charge pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s office to hold her without bail until trial, and he set bail at $40,000 on the other charges.

Post Miranda, Johnson reportedly said Clayton had asked her and McClendon to ride around with her and help her wash clothes, so they agreed, and the three of them drove around. When they arrived at the victim’s apartment, she said, Clayton went in first, and they followed her. She said she and McClendon sat on the couch while Clayton went into a bedroom and then called them to help carry the plastic bag. She said Johnson carried the Glock pistol case and McClendon carried the bag. Johnson reportedly also said that they returned to the apartment a few hours later but never went inside; she said when they returned to their apartment, they found three firearms (one pistol and two rifles) in the plastic bag, and Clayton said they could keep the pistol, so McClendon put it in his closet. She said Clayton took the two rifles and left.

Johnson has been charged as a juvenile.

Post Miranda, McClendon reportedly gave the same story as Johnson, “pretty much word for word.”

McClendon has been charged with armed burglary of a dwelling and four counts of grand theft of a firearm. According to a court document, he is a senior at North Central Florida Charter School; he has no criminal convictions. Judge William Davis ordered him held without bail on the armed burglary charge pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s office to hold him without bail until trial, and he set bail at $40,000 on the other 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.