Gainesville man charged with attempted rape

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Gregorio Jose Gascon Jr., 42, was arrested last night and charged with attempted rape and false imprisonment.

At about 10 p.m. on March 5, a Gainesville Police Department officer met with the victim, who said she had been out with Gascon earlier, and when they returned to the parking lot of his apartment complex at The Polos (2330 SW Williston Road), she wanted to go home, but he pressured her to come inside.

She said Gascon became physical with her, and she told him to stop and said explicitly that she did not want sexual contact, but he grabbed her wrists and touched her in a sexual manner while she tried to get away. She said Gascon told her he could give her something to “knock her out for 45 minutes” so she did not have to be awake while he had sex with her.

The victim said Gascon eventually released her and she went to her car, but he again grabbed her wrists to keep her from getting in her car and said, “I have shackles and I’ll kidnap you.” She screamed for help, and Gascon released her and went back into his apartment.

The officer reported that the victim had physical bruising that corroborated her story.

Post Miranda, Gascon reportedly said he and the victim had engaged in consensual kissing and touching over clothes, and he accidentally touched the victim sexually, but she did not say anything negative. He reportedly admitted to reaching under the victim’s clothes but said he stopped when she told him to stop. He reportedly “made several unprompted remarks about [the victim] being held or tied down.”

After the officer confirmed that the victim was bruised, Gascon reportedly changed his statement and said he had done something that could have made marks on the victim.

Gascon has been charged with attempted rape and false imprisonment. He has no local criminal history, and Judge Jonathan Ramsey 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.