Trenton man arrested for threatening to cut family member with knife in Gainesville parking lot

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Marc Charles Cole, 52, of Trenton, was arrested yesterday for allegedly threatening to cut a family member with a knife in a Gainesville parking lot on July 11.

A Gainesville Police Department officer reported that on July 11, the victim and witness, both related to Cole, traveled to the Publix parking lot at 4115 NW 16th Boulevard to help Cole fix his truck. At about 2:20 p.m., Cole allegedly punched the victim in the face and then fled on foot; the responding officer was unable to locate him. The officer reported that the victim had a swollen eye.

At about 4:32 p.m. the same day, the victim and witness were waiting for a tow truck when Cole returned to the truck, where the victim was sitting in the witness’s vehicle with the door open. Cole allegedly confronted the victim about calling the police earlier and then pulled out a pocket knife, opened it, and pointed it at the victim’s face, threatening to “cut” him and “f–k [him] up.” The victim feared for his safety and called 911, but Cole managed to get his truck to start and drove away before officers arrived.

Cole was arrested on July 27 near the intersection of NW 13th Street and NW 53rd Avenue and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He is a designated Career Offender with 10 felony convictions (non-violent) and eight misdemeanor convictions (two violent); he has served two state prison sentences, with his most recent release in March 2025. Judge Meshon Rawls set bail at $25,000.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.