Gainesville man arrested for pointing gun at woman at the Crossing at Santa Fe complex

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Erick Braijon Hankins, 26, was arrested yesterday after deputies responded to a call about a man who pointed a gun at a woman at the Crossing at Santa Fe apartment complex.

At about 4:30 p.m. on January 16, an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy responded to a call from the victim, who was at the Crossing at Santa Fe apartment complex (3205 NW 83rd Street). The deputy reported that the victim was visiting a friend who lives in the apartment complex, and when she and her passenger drove into the complex, there was a silver car that came in behind them. The driver of the silver car abruptly passed the victim’s car and honked at them while yelling something. The victim honked back, and the driver of the silver car allegedly swerved toward the victim’s car and cut her off while waving a black handgun at her.

The victim, who thought the situation was over, parked in front of her friend’s apartment and noticed that the silver car was parked at the next building and the driver was looking at her and her passenger. The two of them tried to ignore him, but when they looked back, he was walking toward them; the man allegedly walked up to her vehicle, pointed his gun at her, and then kept walking in the breezeway of her friend’s apartment building. The victim called 911, and she and her passenger went to the front of the complex to wait for the deputy.

The deputy looked up the tag number on the silver car and found that it belonged to Hankins, who matches the suspect’s description and lives in the building where the silver car was parked. The deputy made contact with Hankins at his apartment and detained him.

Post Miranda, Hankins reportedly said he had just been released from a Baker Act psychiatric hold and was driving home when he became irritated that the vehicle in front of him was taking so long and felt like they were messing with him. When asked what he did in response, Hankins reportedly said he yelled at them and gestured with his middle finger. When the deputy asked if he did anything else, Hankins reportedly said he pointed a phone charger at them. When the deputy asked him again to tell the whole truth, Hankins reportedly admitted that he had a gun and it was in his apartment. He reportedly said that he pointed the gun at the victim but did not intend to hurt anyone.

Hankins reportedly gave consent to deputies to enter his apartment and retrieve the gun from his bedroom, and a loaded semi-automatic pistol was reportedly found.

Hankins has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He has no criminal convictions, but he entered into and successfully completed a deferred prosecution agreement after he was charged with battery for pushing a woman to the ground in 2021 at the Crossing at Santa Fe apartment complex. Judge Sean Brewer set bail at $50,000.

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.