Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Early this morning, Cecil Eugene Boykin, Jr., aged 40, was taken into custody following accusations of breaking an apartment window in the Holly Heights neighborhood.

At approximately 1:30 a.m. on December 15, an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy arrived at the scene in response to a reported burglary. The resident stated that she had hosted a guest known to her as “Solo” earlier in the evening. This individual was later identified as Boykin.

The resident recounted that Boykin had been discussing his personal issues, but upon her expressing disinterest, he departed. Later, she was startled by a loud noise emanating from the rear of her apartment and observed Boykin fleeing the scene. Upon inspection, she discovered her back window shattered and an old table broken. The table, which had long been stored in the bushes behind her home, seemed to have been used by Boykin to smash the window. The estimated damage amounted to roughly $200.

A witness residing in the same apartment mentioned he was about to retire for the night when he heard a loud “bang” on his bedroom window. Following two more loud impacts, the window shattered. He heard a man shouting outside and recognized the voice as belonging to “Solo.”

The deputy reportedly discovered Boykin concealed in some bushes, with the victim subsequently confirming his identity as “Solo.”

When Boykin was asked about the incident, he reportedly made multiple conflicting statements and said he had gone to the victim’s apartment because she called him for help.

Boykin has been charged with misdemeanor property damage. He is also facing a sworn complaint from an incident on November 13 in which he allegedly intentionally broke a window of a different victim’s residence before making a false report to 911 that someone had been shot; as a result of the false report, deputies abandoned the perimeter they had set to catch Boykin, which allowed him to get away.

Boykin has 11 felony convictions (one violent) and seven misdemeanor convictions (two violent) and is on pre-trial release following an arrest for methamphetamine possession in June 2024 during the investigation of a battery call. Boykin has served four state prison sentences, with his most recent release in 2021. Judge Jonathan Ramsey set bail at $7,500 on the property damage 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.