By Staff Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In a tense neighborhood dispute, Celestia Vanessa Howard, 58, was taken into custody yesterday after she allegedly brandished a firearm at a neighbor.
Officers from the Gainesville Police Department arrived at NW 62nd Place in the Pineridge area around 7:34 p.m. on January 21. A resident reported that while he was standing near his mailbox, Howard began to shout accusations at him, alleging he was spying on her and demanding that he leave her alone. The confrontation escalated when Howard’s son, who has a disability, approached the scene.
According to the neighbor, he admitted to making a derogatory remark about Howard’s son, which prompted the son to approach him aggressively. In the midst of the heated exchange, Howard allegedly retrieved a handgun and aimed it at the neighbor, insisting that he leave them alone. The neighbor, fearing for his safety, withdrew and managed to capture part of the incident on video, which he later presented to the responding officer, showing Howard with the gun.
In a statement given after being Mirandized, Howard acknowledged the altercation and admitted to retrieving her handgun and confronting the neighbor. She claimed her actions were driven by a fear that her son might be harmed, although she conceded that her son should not have approached the neighbor so aggressively.
With Howard’s permission, the officers located and seized the firearm from her residence as part of their investigation.
Howard has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. She has 11 misdemeanor convictions (non-violent) and was arrested for aggravated assault in 2012 after allegedly hitting a woman with a hammer and then chasing the victim while holding two-foot pieces of lumber; the charge was later dropped because the victim could not be found. She also has a conviction for improper exhibition of a firearm (1990); charges of reckless display of a firearm (1995) and aggravated assault (2000) were later dropped.
Judge Jonathan Ramsey set bail at $10,000 on the new charge.
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.
