Gainesville Police arrested a Cabana Beach resident Tuesday afternoon after he reportedly held a cosmetology student’s bag for ransom.
Between last Thursday and Friday, Peterson Pierre, 20, took the bag from Jykeriah Lester’s car because she owed him money, according to a police report.
Lester, a 19-year-old Summit Salon Academy student, said about $1,000 worth of books and salon equipment were in the bag.
"I can’t do anything without it," she said.
Pierre found the bag after opening an unlocked door on her Purple PT Cruiser, Lester said.
Lester said she drove Pierre to Winn-Dixie and Wok-N-Roll on Aug. 24, and that Pierre gave her $20 in gas money.
He wanted that money back, Lester said.
She said Pierre sent her sexual texts later that night.
After Wednesday, she said Pierre started making supernatural threats.
"He was saying he could do voodoo on me and he’s going to get people from Haiti," she said.
Lester said she met Pierre when he walked by her balcony. Pierre could not be reached for comment.
Lester corrected many details from the police report.
Police recovered the bag and arrested Pierre on charges of burglary and larceny.
Authorities took him to the Alachua County Jail, where he was released on his own recognizance Wednesday afternoon.
Contact Giuseppe Sabella at gsabella@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @Gsabella
