Squirrel Hunting Lands Hawthorne Man in Jail

HAWTHORNE – A 26-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, at 2:36 p.m. after allegedly shooting a squirrel on private residential property and being found in possession of 38 grams of marijuana and a scale.

Deputies from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report from a resident in the 22600 block of Southeast 62^nd Avenue in Hawthorne, who said a man was walking through her yard with a rifle. The resident provided deputies with still images and video footage showing a black man in a reddish-orange shirt, black pants, and carrying a backpack, a long gun, and a white bag. One video reportedly captured the man picking up a squirrel and placing it into the bag while on the resident’s property.

Deputies later located Adrion Keith Flowers in the 5900 block of Southeast 226^th Street. He was reportedly wearing the clothing seen in the images and carrying a rifle. Upon being ordered to drop the weapon, Flowers complied. As he was being handcuffed, Flowers allegedly stated that he was using a pellet gun to kill squirrels. Deputies reported finding multiple dead squirrels in the white bag Flowers was carrying.

A deputy noted a strong smell of marijuana coming from Flowers. A subsequent search of his backpack reportedly revealed 38 grams of marijuana in three separate bags, a scale, and two mason jars containing additional marijuana. Flowers allegedly told deputies he had a medical marijuana card and that his marijuana was legal. However, the arresting deputy reported that the packaging and weighing of the marijuana in separate bags suggested an intent to sell.

The rifle carried by Flowers was identified as an air pellet rifle. Post-Miranda, Flowers reportedly declined to answer any questions.

Flowers has been charged with firing a potentially dangerous projectile across private property to take wild game, possession of marijuana with intent to sell and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Flowers’ criminal history includes juvenile convictions between 2013 and 2016, two adult felony convictions, and five adult misdemeanor convictions, two of which were for violent offenses. In April 2024, he was arrested for domestic battery at Harbor Cove in Gainesville, but those charges were later dropped.

Bail was set at $50,000 by Judge Adam Lee.

#     #     #

Email cwalker@

alachuatoday.com