OCALA – A Gainesville man who admitted to breaking into an internet café to get cash was arrested Wednesday by a sheriff’s detective.
Najuan Shaquile Burse-Williams told Detective Pam Thomas that he fired shots at the front door, breaking the glass. He then entered the building, took money from the cash register, and tried to get more cash from the tables using a screwdriver, but they were empty. With a baby on the way, Burse-Williams said he needed the money.
After the interview, he was charged with armed burglary of a structure, possession of burglary tools, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and grand theft, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
Shortly after 4 a.m. Wednesday, deputies were called to the Lucky Duck Internet Café at 18651 N. U.S. 301 about a robbery. When deputies arrived, they saw the front glass door was broken and the business was closed.
While searching the area, deputies noticed a vehicle speeding westbound on County Road 318. The vehicle ran a stop sign at the intersection of U.S. 441 and CR 318. Deputies stopped the vehicle in the 18600 block of N. U.S. 441.
The driver, later identified as Burse-Williams, told deputies he had just left the internet café on U.S. 301. He allowed deputies to search his vehicle, where they found a screwdriver and a purple money tag.
At the internet café, other deputies reviewed the store’s surveillance video and sent a still picture of the suspect to Thomas, who was at the traffic stop. Thomas interviewed Burse-Williams about the incident, and he initially denied committing the burglary but admitted to being at the café.
Cash was found in Burse-Williams’ pocket, which he claimed came from his home. He also acknowledged that he wasn’t allowed to have a gun due to his status as a convicted felon.
During a second interview with Thomas, Burse-Williams was informed about the video showing his vehicle at the scene. At that point, he confessed to the burglary.
State records show he previously spent time in prison for grand theft and had been released since July 2017.
Burse-Williams, who turned 28 on January 29, was held at the Marion County Jail on Thursday on $70,000 bond. His next court appearance is scheduled for March 5 at 9 a.m.
