A Gainesville man was arrested early Saturday after police said he punched the owner of The JAM in the face as he was kicked out of the bar.
At about 1:45 a.m., Tarvell Marquis McRae approached a woman at the bar from behind and wrapped his arms around her without her permission. The owner of the bar, located at 817 W. University Ave., told McRae, 22, to leave. When McRae ignored him, the owner pushed McRae toward the exit, according to police.
Once outside, McRae repeatedly punched the owner in the face, causing the owner’s two front teeth to break, police said. The owner also had a bruise above his eye.
McRae was arrested on felony battery charges. His bond is set at $5,000.
A Gainesville man was arrested Saturday morning after police said he hit and strangled the mother of his child.
The victim told police that Roderick Deon Watson, 31, got angry and began calling her a "whore" after he received a phone call at about 11:30 a.m., according to a report. The victim and her two children — one of whom is Watson’s child — walked out of the house, located at 1012 SE 10th Terrace.
Watson then followed her outside, told the children to go back inside and started shoving and hitting the woman in the face with open hands. He then started to strangle the woman, who told police she couldn’t breathe and thought she was going to pass out.
After Watson released his grip, the woman went inside to get her children. Watson followed the woman and continued to yell at her.
The woman picked up Watson’s child as Watson continued to hit her in the face, giving the woman a bloody cut on her lower lip, police said. The woman told police the child she was holding was scared and crying.
"Stop that crying like a little bitch," Watson said to the child. "What you crying for?"
Watson left the house on foot, and the woman called police. Officers found Watson a few blocks away at 900 SE Williston Road.
Watson was arrested on two battery charges and one charge of child abuse. His bond is set at $35,000.
A 25-year-old man was arrested early Sunday after police said he pushed a woman pregnant with his child into a bathtub.
Joshua Ryan Palmer and the victim, who is eight weeks pregnant with his child, got into an argument over Palmer having a criminal record at about 12:30 p.m. Saturday, a report said. The victim found out Palmer was hiding marijuana in their house, located at 710 SW 16th Ave.
When she tried flushing the marijuana down the toilet, Palmer pushed the victim, causing her to fall into the bathtub, which she said bruised her left arm and made her back sore.
Palmer told the woman he should "just hit her one good time, in the stomach and end her pregnancy," according to the report.
He left the residence before police arrived, and the victim filed a sworn statement.
After police investigated the incident, the victim called and said Palmer returned to the apartment at about 3:30 p.m. and took her TV, DVD player and laptop power adapter when she was not home.
Police found Palmer at his parents’ home, located at 1939 NW 32nd Place, at about 3 a.m. Sunday. They were able to see the victim’s TV and DVD player in plain view.
When officers went inside to get the stolen goods, they saw a bag with 0.1 grams of cocaine next to a rolled up $20 bill and Palmer’s Florida ID card. They also found a plastic baggie with two marijuana roaches.
Palmer was arrested on charges of aggravated battery on a pregnant female, grand theft, drug paraphernalia and marijuana and cocaine possession charges. His bond is set at $18,000.
A sexual battery incident between two male inmates at the Alachua County Jail on Wednesday is being investigated by the sheriff’s office.
The victim received immediate medical attention from employees at the jail, a release said. Detectives interviewed the victim and collected evidence, which will be analyzed at a lab. Lab results are needed before charges can be made.
The victim was treated and released from a local hospital. He has since bonded out of the jail. The suspect is still in custody on other charges.
The investigation is ongoing.
[A version of this story ran on page 5 on 10/27/2014]
