Alachua County man arrested for threatening to kill girlfriend

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

ALACHUA COUNTY, Fla. – Ronald Dean Schol, Jr., 49, was arrested early this morning and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and false imprisonment.

The victim told Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputies that Schol had sent her text messages threatening suicide, and when she returned to the home she shared with him, they began arguing. She said she told him she was going to pack and leave, but she said he told her he wouldn’t allow her to leave and was going to use a rifle to “blow her head off.” She said she retreated to her bedroom to pack and began sending texts to a Gainesville Police Department officer who had previously told her she could reach out if she ever needed help. During this time, Schol allegedly closed and locked a doorway in the hall, preventing the victim from leaving.

Another resident of the house was able to open a back door from the outside, letting the victim escape. That resident also reportedly provided an audio recording of Schol threatening to kill the victim.

Post Miranda, Schol reportedly denied ever threatening harm to the victim or anyone else and denied preventing the victim from leaving the residence.

Schol has one felony conviction. He was arrested in 2016 for threatening a different girlfriend with a knife, but the charges were dropped because the victim did not cooperate with prosecutors. In 2018, he was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of improperly displaying a knife when someone stepped between him and his girlfriend during an argument at a gas station. He entered a plea of nolo contendere and was sentenced to six months of administrative probation. Prosecutors have been asked by Judge Lorelie Brannan to provide additional evidence to establish probable cause on the aggravated assault charge, and his bail and release conditions will be determined tomorrow.

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.