Staff report
WALDO, Fla. – Ja’quel Leroy Richardson, 15, of Waldo, is facing adult charges after authorities said he choked a woman and forced his way into her apartment.
Alachua County Sheriff’s deputies were called to the Waldo Villa Apartments at approximately 9:14 a.m. Sept. 9. The victim told investigators that a Black male who appeared to be about 15 years old knocked on her door and asked whether her “husband” was home. After she replied that he was not, the suspect allegedly grabbed her throat with both hands and shoved her into the apartment, causing her to fall. She said he continued choking her and restricted her breathing until she screamed, prompting him to flee. The suspect was described as wearing a light-colored shirt and blue shorts.
Deputies said they observed redness around the woman’s neck.
At about 12:53 p.m., while deputies remained in the area, one deputy encountered Robinson, who was associated with an apartment near the victim’s residence. He matched the description provided by the victim, although he was wearing different clothing. As deputies spoke with him, the victim saw him through a window and positively identified him as the person who had attacked her.
Family members reportedly told deputies that Robinson had changed clothes after the incident. They also said he had spent most of the morning alone downstairs while other relatives remained upstairs.
Investigators searching the family’s apartment reportedly found two pairs of blue shorts inside a bag belonging to Robinson. A family member identified the specific pair Robinson had allegedly worn earlier that day.
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Another witness reportedly saw a juvenile Black male outside the victim’s apartment at approximately 9 a.m. and thought he was acting unusually. The witness said the shorts recovered from Robinson’s apartment matched those worn by the juvenile she had seen.
After being advised of his Miranda rights, Robinson reportedly gave deputies conflicting accounts of what he had worn and whether he had changed clothes. He initially denied any contact with the victim or her apartment, but later acknowledged knocking on her door several weeks earlier to ask whether her “boyfriend” was home. He reportedly said he had “anger issues” and was upset that morning because of family problems.
Robinson later reportedly admitted knocking on the victim’s door that morning and asking whether her “husband” was home, though he said he did not remember what happened afterward. When a deputy asked whether he believed the victim had flirted with him or acted friendly toward him, Robinson said he felt that had happened recently. He also reportedly acknowledged changing clothes and identified the clothing described by the victim.
Richardson has been charged as an adult with burglary with battery and battery by strangulation and booked into the Alachua County Jail. Judge James Colaw set bail at $500,000 in an order transferring the case to adult court. Richardson is currently on juvenile probation, and additional information about his criminal history is expected to be released tomorrow.
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.
