A 19-year-old Ocala man was arrested outside a local park after we was allegedly caught flaunting a stolen, loaded firearm to a female.
On Saturday, April 6, at around 12:05 a.m., an Ocala Police Department officer was performing security at Jervey Gantt Park (2200 SE 36th Avenue) when a Kia sedan was spotted in the parking lot. The vehicle had two occupants – a 17-year-old female driver and a 19-year-old passenger identified as Johnarji Kishaun Turner, according to the arrest report.
The report stated that as the officer approached the sedan, both occupants appeared to reach down in the floorboard area. Upon reaching the sedan, the officer noted that there was a “strong odor of marijuana” emanating from inside the vehicle.
Turner and the passenger both exited the vehicle per the officer’s instructions, and an interior search of the vehicle was conducted.
According to the report, a green leafy substance was observed in several locations inside the sedan. In addition, the officer found a black Glock 26 firearm with an extended magazine underneath the passenger seat.
The officer noted that the firearm was “not properly encased,” and it was loaded with 27 9mm hollow-point rounds. A round was also in the chamber.
A computer search of the firearm’s serial number revealed that it had been reported as stolen out of Marion County. The report stated that the gun had been stolen during a vehicle burglary.
The juvenile driver told the officer that the firearm belonged to Turner, and he had been “flaunting” it while in the backseat of her sedan. She further stated that Turner was carrying the gun in his “waistband area,” and he allegedly placed the firearm under the passenger seat when the officer initially approached the vehicle, according to the report.
After being read his Miranda rights, Turner refused to speak with the officer. He was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail.
Three days later, Turner was released from jail after posting a $20,000 bond. He is being charged with grand theft of a firearm, carrying a concealed firearm, and armed burglary of a dwelling, structure, or conveyance.
A court date has been scheduled at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, May 7, according to jail records.