Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Parris Tremel Lee, 31, was arrested yesterday for allegedly possessing marijuana on the campus of Duval Early Learning Academy.

A police officer from the Gainesville Police Department noted that around 12:43 p.m. on August 4, the principal of Duval Early Learning Academy (located at 2106 NW 8th Avenue) reported an incident involving a man allegedly hiding in a dimly-lit area on the school campus. The man attempted to obtain money from a school custodian and subsequently tried to access the Kids Count room, which housed three young female counselors.

On August 8, the officer revisited the school to analyze surveillance footage and observed the man peering through the window of the Kids Count room, watching the young women for approximately 30-40 seconds. Afterward, he crouched down to smoke what appeared to be a “blunt.”

Returning to her vehicle to document her observations, the officer noticed a man resembling the individual in the video. She approached and spoke with him; the man identified himself as Lee. He admitted having been on the school grounds earlier and interacting with the custodian.

After being read his Miranda rights, Lee denied looking through any windows but acknowledged smoking “weed” on the premises. When queried by the officer about the presence of “weed” in his backpack, he allegedly admitted its presence but refuted carrying other illegal substances, despite previously mentioning to other officers that he had been smoking “molly.”

A search of his backpack reportedly produced about 0.4g of “molly,” formally identified via field testing as 2C, and about 3.4 grams of marijuana.

Lee faces charges for possessing marijuana within 1,000 feet of a school during school hours, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of under 20 grams of marijuana. His criminal history includes four felony convictions (two involved violence) and five misdemeanor convictions (non-violent); he has completed two state prison terms, with his last release being on June 28, 2025. On July 1, 2025, he faced arrest for shoplifting but was released on bail the following morning. The bail for the new charges has been set at $135,000 by Judge Kristine Van Vorst.

Articles detailing arrests are derived from reports by law enforcement. Charges listed come from arrest reports and/or court documents and are solely accusations. All individuals are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.