Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Melanie A. Hawkins, 51, was arrested yesterday on allegations that she took a vehicle belonging to a homeless man and failed to return it.
According to a Gainesville Police Department report, the victim said he allowed Hawkins to stay in his van around October 14 after she lost her sleeping space at GRACE Marketplace. He also permitted her to use the vehicle for DoorDash deliveries and provided her with a phone. The victim said Hawkins stopped answering his messages on October 19 and did not return the van. He reported it stolen the following day.
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On October 28, Alachua County Sheriff’s deputies found the van at The Crossings at Santa Fe, located at 3205 NW 83rd Street, while handling an unrelated call. Hawkins allegedly acknowledged that she had the vehicle, and the victim told authorities he wanted to pursue criminal charges.
Hawkins told Justice Support Services that she had been in the Gainesville area for approximately one month. She faces a charge of grand theft of a motor vehicle. Authorities also noted an unspecified criminal history in Missouri and South Dakota dating from 1994 through 2015, including at least one prison term. Judge Meshon Rawls released Hawkins on her own recognizance.
Arrest reports are official accounts provided by law enforcement agencies. The charges described in this article come from the arrest report and/or court records and represent allegations only. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
