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Thursday, March 28, 2024

A Gainesville man was arrested after he fled from police and hid inside a stranger’s house, offering money to the residents to hide him and help him evade officers.  

Officers charged Xavier D. Mitchell, 27, for burglary, possession of drug paraphernalia and a controlled substance, resisting an officer, driving with a suspended license and leaving the scene, according a police report.

On Tuesday at about 4:30 p.m., an officer in a patrol car attempted to stop Mitchell from going 49 in a 35 mph zone on East University Avenue.   

Mitchell slowed after passing the officer’s squad car and made a right turn on Northeast 15th Street to pull over. He continued to slow down as if he were going to stop, then accelerated rapidly and made a left turn on Northeast First Avenue, according to the report.

Mitchell then slowed his car again and opened the driver door as if he were going to flee. He accelerated again, trying to make a left on Northeast 14th Street and made a wide turn making him lose control of his car, according to the report.

Mitchell crashed into a tree and ran eastbound through several backyards.

The officer then drove to the corner of Northwest 14th Street and West University Avenue and watched Mitchell come from behind the houses. The officer left his marked car and ran after Mitchell.

Mitchell ran into a house located on the 1400 block of East University Avenue, which was occupied, according to the report. The officer heard the residents yelling from inside, entered and arrested Mitchell.

Later, Mitchell was found to be offering to pay the residents to hide him. Mitchell was told to leave the house but refused.

Marijuana was found just outside Mitchell’s car, including a clear plastic bag containing 28.8 grams of weed found between the passenger door and seat of the car, according to the report.  A small scale with marijuana residue was found beneath the driver’s seat.

“It is also suspected that Mitchell threw additional quantities of cannabis as he fled on foot and that this was picked up by onlookers,” GPD spokesman Ben Tobias wrote in an email.

Officers booked him into the Alachua County Jail on Tuesday at about 10 p.m. As of press time, his bond is set at $127,500. 

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[A version of this story ran on page 5 on 7/10/2014 under the headline "Police accuse man of burglary after crashing his car, fleeing"]

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