Homeless woman arrested for trashing condominium and stealing possessions of friend who was in jail

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Alexis Marie Fulford, 27, was arrested yesterday and charged with burglary with property damage and grand theft over $20,000 after allegedly moving into a condominium belonging to a friend who was in jail, stealing all the resident’s belongings, and trashing the condominium.

The condominium is owned by a woman who lives in New York, and her brother, who was living in the condominium, befriended Fulford early last year. Fulford was reportedly a guest in the home but never lived there and never stayed more than a night or two at a time.

At some point, Fulford was on probation and listed the apartment as her residence on her paperwork, although she was reportedly homeless at the time. The victims told a Gainesville Police Department officer that Fulford never had permission to list their property as her residence, and she never informed them that she had done that.

The resident of the condominium was arrested in December following a dispute with Fulford, and he remains in the Alachua County Jail. When he was arrested, he reportedly asked officers to have Fulford leave the condominium because he believed she would damage the condominium and steal his belongings. However, Fulford reportedly showed her probation paperwork to the officers, which “misguided” officers into believing the condominium was her established residence. She was allowed to stay.

While the resident was in jail, the owner of the condominium heard from neighbors that Fulford was causing problems and doing things to “terrorize the complex.” They reported that the door handle had been broken off the front door and that the front door “stays open all the time.”

Four days after the resident was jailed, the owner filed an illegal detainer against Fulford, but Fulford allegedly refused to leave and stayed in the condominium until January 29, when she was finally served with a Writ of Possession and given 24 hours to move out.

On January 30, a neighbor called the owner and said Fulford and her father were loading a pickup truck and trailer with items that belonged to the owner and resident of the condominium, including two kayaks, the resident’s expensive custom bicycle, and appliances.

A neighbor reportedly provided doorbell videos showing Fulford loading items, including the bicycle, on the trailer. Fulford can also reportedly be heard asking her father whether they should take the victim’s bicycle.

The owner came down from New York in February to inspect the condominium and reportedly found graffiti sprayed all over the walls, blinds worth $3,500 that were ruined, a ruined countertop, three broken doors, numerous cracked floor tiles, a broken dishwasher, a damaged hot water heater, holes in the walls, a syrup-like substance on one wall, and other damages. The owner estimates that the damage will take tens of thousands of dollars to repair, and her list of missing items adds up to more than $34,000. None of the items have been recovered.

Another friend of Fulford’s is currently in the Alachua County Jail, and he reportedly said he had been to the condominium several times after the resident was arrested. He said Fulford “was trying to sell the whole house,” meaning everything in it. He said Fulford had given items to various people to sell to pawn shops “as well as out at GRACE Marketplace.” He said Fulford “was trying to clean the house before the people got back.”

That friend also reportedly said Fulford was well aware that she was not welcome at the condominium because there was eviction paperwork on the door. He said Fulford told him she intended to keep dodging deputies and believed she couldn’t be forced to leave “as long as they didn’t serve her.” However, she answered the door on January 29 and was served with the Writ of Possession.

Fulford has been charged with burglary with property damage over $1,000, grand theft over $20,000, and property damage over $1,000. She has three felony convictions (none violent). Judge Thomas Jaworski set bail at $170,000.

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.

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