Gainesville man arrested for repeatedly choking woman at hotel

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Kenshae Dwight Robinson, 32, was arrested yesterday for allegedly choking a woman multiple times and trying to stop her from leaving their hotel room.

The responding Gainesville Police Department officer reported that he found Robinson and the victim in the roadway outside the Super 8 Hotel (4202 SW 40th Blvd) at about 8 a.m. on June 4, with Robinson actively trying to grab the victim and the victim trying to get away while hysterically crying. He noted that Robinson had two phones in his back pocket.

The victim said she and Robinson had been staying at the hotel because of a housing issue, and they had gotten into an argument that morning because Robinson did not want to go to work. She said Robinson choked her until she passed out and fell to the ground, hitting her head. She said that while Robinson was choking her, she could not breathe, and then she saw stars and lost consciousness.

The victim said she woke up and tried to call for help while also trying to leave the hotel room, but Robinson choked her again and grabbed her phone. She said she was not able to breathe and saw stars, but she was able to push away and get out of the hotel room. She said Robinson followed her outside and choked her from behind, saying, “I’m gonna kill you.” She said she had two phones, but Robinson had both of them.

The victim said Robinson followed her into the roadway, and she was in fear for her life and felt like Robinson was going to kill her.

A witness reportedly told the officer that they saw the victim trying to get away from Robinson before he grabbed her neck from behind and started strangling her while lifting her off the ground. The witness said this occurred twice while the victim was trying to get away from the hotel.

The victim reportedly had an injury to the back of her head from falling to the ground and injuries to her neck from being choked.

Post Miranda, Robinson reportedly denied hitting or touching the victim and said he was helping her get up from the roadway when the officer arrived because she’d had a seizure. He said one of the phones was his. When he was asked for more information, he reportedly said it didn’t matter because he was going to jail, anyway.

Robinson has been charged with domestic battery by strangulation and false imprisonment. He has eight felony convictions (non-violent) and five misdemeanor convictions (one violent); he has served four state prison sentences, with his most recent release in December 2025. He has a Notice to Appear for driving without a valid license in March. Senior Judge Bo Bayer ordered him held without bail pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s Office to hold him without bail until trial; if the judge denies the motion, bail will be set at that hearing.

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.