GAINESVILLE, Fla. – University of Florida and Gainesville police arrested Jared Cristopher Williams, 22, and Kaetlyn Elizabeth Smith, 19, early Thursday morning on charges of aggravated assault and armed robbery on the UF campus and an armed robbery in Gainesville.
According to the police report, two UF students were walking on campus near Walker Hall and Union Road about 12:48 a.m. when they were approached by a suspect with a small handgun. The two students turned around and ran from the armed suspect. They called 911 and activated an on-campus Emergency Blue Light phone.
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A search perimeter was established and an UF Alert was published, but the suspect was not located.
About an hour later, the GPD was notified of an armed robbery at the 800 block of Northwest 15th Street. The suspect in that robbery matched the description given in the on-campus incident.
The victim in the robbery immediately called 911 after being robbed and provided a vehicle description. GPD was able to quickly locate the car.
Smith took off and a police chase continued through campus with the help of UFPD. She eventually lost control of the vehicle and crashed just past the intersection of Fraternity Row and Museum Road on campus.
Smith was immediately arrested but Williams ran off into the University Gardens wooded area. A search perimeter was established and officers secured the area. Within an hour Williams was located by GPD K-9 officers in Lake Alice and taken into custody.
Around 3:10 a.m. another UF Safety Alert tweeted that the man was in custody.
Officers found a small-caliber handgun and a bandanna in Smith's car that matched the description provided by the victims of the on-campus incident.
Williams and Smith are being charged with armed robbery, aggravated assault and additional charges as the investigation continues.