ARCHER – A 22-year-old Micanopy man was arrested late Tuesday morning after deputies responding to a crash in Archer determined the vehicle involved had been reported stolen earlier the same day, according to the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies were dispatched at approximately 11:43 a.m. April 28, 2026, to the 6700 block of Southwest 170th Street, where they located a crashed 2017 Kia Niro. During the investigation, deputies learned the vehicle had been reported stolen from a residence in Micanopy earlier that morning.
The vehicle’s owner told deputies the Kia had been parked in her driveway and that no one had permission to drive it. She said the key fob had been left inside the glove box because the vehicle was not working properly and required jump-starting.
Following his arrest and after being read his rights under Miranda rights, Dajuan Myhand reportedly told deputies he had obtained the vehicle from an acquaintance but was unable to provide contact information. He said he had been drinking with the man the previous night at a bar in downtown Gainesville and gave inconsistent statements about how long he had known him, at times saying three years and at other times a couple of months.
Myhand told deputies he and the acquaintance had driven to the Lochloosa area around 3 a.m. and that he did not leave until about 9 a.m., claiming he had permission to drive the vehicle and had used the key to start it. However, deputies reported that traffic cameras captured the Kia at 4:04 a.m., 5:46 a.m. and 6:06 a.m., contradicting that timeline.
According to the report, the victim’s residence is within walking distance of the address listed on Myhand’s driver’s license. Deputies also noted that Myhand had a pair of black cold-weather gloves, which he said he intended to use to repair a vehicle.
Myhand is charged with grand theft of a motor vehicle. Authorities said he is designated as a violent felony offender of special concern and has nine prior felony convictions, including one violent offense. He is currently on probation following his release from prison in 2023, after serving a 15-month sentence for armed burglary and eight counts of grand theft of a firearm.
Officials also reported that Myhand has an active warrant out of Marion County on charges of grand theft of a vehicle, burglary and tampering with evidence.
Judge Meshon Rawls set bail at $50,000.
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