This past December, J.C. Jackson was the alleged victim of a crime. Four months later, he’s one of the perpetrators of a crime -- allegedly.
WJXT-TV in Jacksonville is reporting Sunday morning that Jackson was arrested Saturday in connection to an armed home invasion robbery. According to the television station, Jackson turned himself in to face the charge, the specific nature of which was not specified in the report.
The incident that led to the cornerback’s arrest occurred shortly after 4 p.m. ET yesterday. Essentially, Jackson (allegedly) setup an acquaintance and his home to be robbed by two armed individuals, and then very quickly exited stage left.
Here's @GainesvillePD summary on arrest of Gator football player JC Jackson. pic.twitter.com/BdpwmzjNwV
— Vic Micolucci WJXT (@WJXTvic) April 19, 2015
The other two suspects are still at large. UF officials have yet to comment on what impact the arrest will have on Jackson’s status with the football program moving forward.
In the December incident, Jackson and West Virginia wide receiver Jacky Marcellus were both grazed by bullets in a shooting that happened outside of an Immokalee, Fla., apartment building. A third individual, the brother of Marcellus, was shot in the face but survived.
A four-star member of the Gators’ 2014 recruiting class, Jackson was rated as the No. 21 corner in the country; the No. 37 player at any position in the state of Florida; and the No. 243 recruit overall by Rivals.com. He played in the 2014 opener, but missed the remainder of the season with a shoulder injury. Exiting the spring, Jackson was expected to take a starting job into summer camp.
(Photo credit: Vic Micolucci‘s Twitter account)
UPDATED 11:42 a.m. ET: According to the Orlando Sentinel‘s Edgar Thompson, Jackson was charged with suspicion of armed robbery and is being held in Alachua County Jail on a $150,000 bond.
UPDATED 12:07 p.m. ET: First-year head coach Jim McElwain released the following statement regarding Jackson’s latest issue.