Staff report
HAWTHORNE, Fla. – Ciera Lynne Watson, aged 36, was taken into custody last night after she was accused of smashing a window at a residence in Hawthorne and threatening to set the place on fire.
On the evening of August 13, precisely at 9:37 p.m., deputies from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office arrived at a Hawthorne home. The homeowner accused Watson of breaking a window and threatening to ignite a fire to destroy her house; the victim mentioned that Watson, who is without a permanent residence, is her adopted cousin and has never lived with her.
An officer reported that upon approaching the scene, he overheard Watson making threats to kill the victim and observed Watson throw a shoe, striking the victim. When officers attempted to take Watson into custody, she allegedly resisted and spat at the victim.
The deputy reported that the victim’s mailbox was also broken, and repairs to the window and mailbox were estimated at over $600.
The officer noted that Watson had a backpack she could have left behind, but she demanded to keep it with her. When searched to itemize its contents, it reportedly contained approximately 0.43 grams of marijuana and around 0.4 grams of cocaine, along with multiple items marked with Watson’s name. Additionally, Watson was found with a small torch.
After being informed of her rights, Watson apparently requested to speak with an attorney but spontaneously mentioned that she intended to hit the victim with the shoe, expressed a threat to “slit” someone’s throat, and claimed she would set the victim’s home on fire upon release.
Watson faces charges including two counts of abuse against a disabled individual, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, two counts of property damage exceeding $200, possession of under 20 grams of marijuana, and non-violent resistance to an officer. With no previous criminal records, Judge Susan Miller-Jones has set her bail at $220,000.
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.
