Staff Report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Authorities took Troy Johntavis Johnson Jr., 23, into custody yesterday after he allegedly vandalized a vehicle in a parking garage at Shands. In addition to this incident, Johnson was apprehended due to a felony warrant stemming from an event in June.
Around 3:36 p.m. on November 23, an officer from the University of Florida Police Department arrived at Garage 10 on the UF campus, located at 1269 Newell Drive, after a report of a confrontation. The victim recounted that a black male, described as wearing a white turban, had threatened him and damaged his car with a key. The suspect’s vehicle was still parked at the scene.
The victim explained that he parked around 1:30 p.m. when the suspect emerged from the car in front of him, visibly upset over a parking spot dispute. The suspect allegedly threatened, “I’ll whip your <expletive>, and I’ll key you.” Initially, the victim did not take the threat seriously and proceeded into the hospital. Upon returning a few hours later, he discovered that his car had been keyed.
The officer documented several fresh scratches on the vehicle, with the victim indicating that the car’s paint job was a custom color. Repairing the damage was estimated to cost between $500 and $1,000.
The victim identified the suspect’s car, and the officer traced the vehicle’s tag number to confirm Johnson as the owner. The officer also discovered that Johnson was wanted on charges of aggravated assault, robbery by sudden snatching, and property damage.
The officer found that Johnson worked at Shands, and Johnson was located inside the hospital and arrested at 4:20 p.m. The victim identified Johnson as the man who had threatened him, and the officer confirmed that keys in Johnson’s pocket belonged to the suspect’s vehicle.
Post Miranda, Johnson reportedly did not want to say anything.
Johnson has been charged with misdemeanor property damage for the parking garage incident.
On June 21, Johnson was reportedly arguing with a woman when he snatched her phone and threw it out of a car window; the victim said she stopped the car to look for it but did not find it. A short time later, Johnson allegedly kicked the woman’s car, causing about $200 in damage. When the woman went to Johnson’s mother’s home to get her other phone, Johnson allegedly came outside with a handgun, but his mother took the gun from him; a friend of the woman reportedly captured a video showing the handgun. Johnson has been charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, robbery by sudden snatching, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and property damage in that case.
Johnson has two felony convictions (non-violent) and a misdemeanor conviction (non-violent); he has served one state prison sentence and was released in August 2024. Judge Meshon Rawls set bail at $202,000 on the June charges and added $5,000 for yesterday’s incident.
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.
