Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Candace Marie Naughton, 43, was arrested last night after four people said she pointed a gun at them during a road rage incident.
At approximately 9:11 p.m. on June 14, an officer from the Gainesville Police Department interviewed four individuals who claimed that Naughton had brandished a gun at them. This occurred when her vehicle was positioned next to theirs on the 5200 block of SW 20th Avenue. One of the individuals mentioned that this took place amidst a road rage encounter, although the arrest report does not elaborate on the events leading up to the sighting of the weapon.
An Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy apprehended Naughton at the Circle K located at 5237 SW 20th Avenue. After being Mirandized, Naughton admitted to being involved in a road rage situation with the people in the victims’ car. She acknowledged having two firearms in her car, both stored in holsters under the front passenger seat. When asked by the GPD officer how the victims were aware she had a firearm if both were under the seat, Naughton alleged, “They must have seen it on my dashboard.” However, she could not clarify how the gun moved from beneath the passenger seat to the dashboard, especially since she was alone. Eventually, she changed her account, claiming she “always drives with firearms on her dashboard.”
The officer reportedly saw two 9mm magazines in plain view in the center console of Naughton’s vehicle and a live round on the floorboard.
Naughton now faces four charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. She has no prior criminal record, and Judge Mitchell Bishop has set her bail at $10,000.
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.
