Homeless advocate arrested for machete attack
Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Gordon Jay Burnstein, 63, was arrested yesterday and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after allegedly threatening another man with a machete.
At about 6:30 p.m., a Gainesville Police Department officer responded to a victim who had been sitting at a picnic table along a trail near the 300 block of NW 10th Avenue; the victim said a man walked up to him and yelled, “Who are you?” When the victim did not respond, the man allegedly said, “I guess I have to prove myself” and picked up a “sword.” The victim said he was afraid and backed away from the picnic table, then the man walked away as an officer arrived.
The officer reported that she had been conducting a trespassing investigation involving Burnstein when she heard yelling and saw Burnstein holding an 18-inch machete and yelling at the victim, who was backing away. She wrote that Burnstein raised his arm several times toward the victim, but when he saw the officer, he quickly hid the machete, which was later found.
Post Miranda, Burnstein reportedly denied having a machete and said it was only a wooden stick.
Burnstein is an advocate for the homeless who has started three nonprofits in recent years – Gimme Shelter, Homeless American Tribal Enterprise, and Homeless American Tribal Enterprises; none are currently active. He often speaks about homeless issues at local government meetings, saying he is an expert who should be consulted on homeless policies.
Burnstein has two felony convictions in other counties (none violent). Judge Susan Miller-Jones set bail at $75,000 and ordered a mental health evaluation.
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.
Surprised GRACE hasn’t hired him as an advocate.
Exactly!!!!!
Gordo at it again. He needs a time out. Advocating is so stressful.
Hire this ‘ambassador’ to be Santa Claus at the city commissions Christmas…oops….’Holiday’ party. He can use his machete on the naughty participants.
Lou,
We actually just entered into a contract with to do exactly that, him which includes us (basically your tax dollars) paying his bail. This is the least I could do as the back-Ward Mayor of Gainesville.
I can’t respond, because I can’t write backward.
He will reform the jail from the inside out, or he will think he can. He’s not a bad guy, meaning I don’t think he would have actually attacked someone with the machete. There is probably more to the story.
As your future President I want to commend this man for getting involved. You people talk a good game but do not get involved. Why are you not downtown chatting with the homeless. Dr Prizzia will do this along with instructing folks on her favorite mechanical devices
“Not currently active” is the PC way of saying bankrupt or insolvent. I’m sure the City and County Commissions will be lining up to fund his next business venture seeing as how they are gullible Democrats.
Wonder how many of the “start-up costs” were paid by local taxpayers?
Straight to jail right away
Is this location the turnout on the 6th St. bike path between 8th and 10th Avenues, opposite the food bank? Is this character the one who created the trash- and garbage dump there in the last week?
Probably not. He had a small apartment not long ago, probably still does. From what I remember of seeing him a while back, he likes to cook and clean and is generally not messy.
YES but there’s a twin who’s a bike tire hoarder. Other guy is taller but just as fat. They spend their SSI on food instead of splitting rent in a rental.
Yes, that’s him. He roped it off with caution tape then threatened the people working at Bread of the Mighty and they had him trespassed. Threatened workers at Afternoon and other businesses. Has been leaving a lot of garbage around the area.
The Grateful Dead!
OH 😱 no….looks like Santa Claus will be missing in action this year….
What a look. At least he won’t be homeless at the county jail.
The Jail should use their outside lawn for captured repeat homeless camp, fenced with barb wire. Make them use SSI on awful jail food, see how long they wanna stay houseless.
Real JK:
That’s actually good idea, but that’s why it will never happen..
Burnstein probably has a law degree, he’s a career houseless parasite. He’s been setting up campsites on public trails, etc. But he’s not the only one, just an “advocate” who can’t live with anyone else to split rents. He must use his full monthly checks to spend on food, the lard ass.
ACLUSPLCDNC 💩🤡👹👺👿
Is SO PERFECT too that he set up “3 non-profits” for homeless — he wanted a revenue stream for his gluttony. 🤡🤣
He should run for County Commissioner, maybe he can get advice from Alford when she goes out there to eat lunch at jail.
She obviously never misses a free meal.
This is the kind of guy that the City and County Commissions will listen to regarding what should be done with the homeless situation in the area. It’s time to crack down on homeless crime and push the homeless off of the street corners in Gainesville and Alachua County. The citizens have had enough, and out town is a disgrace because of years of avoiding the visible problems.
Totally agree with you. Problem starts with no background checks at the Dis-Grace Center. Some homeless don’t go there because they are afraid. Work should be #1 priority. If they can hold down a job for a few months or year and live out there. Then maybe they will be able to stabilize in an apartment. The Dis-Grace Center is just a human petting zoo, where liberals can go and feel good about themselves.
Should be on work crew if get benefits to stay at Grace. That way they can give back to the community… no one rides for free!
Where’s the churches helping their fellow man? We should not be seeing vagrants and panhandlers with all the churches & Grace mkt.
They taught him how to fish…
They didn’t teach him how to fish…he’s a filthy bum that wants free sh!t. A city nuisance. Put his crazy ass on a bus and send him to Daytona where the weather is warmer.
Sadly the church volunteers don’t require clients be screened and reformed.
He’s been threatening to kill people. He’s been caught stealing from people and businesses. He keeps claiming people are trying to kill him… which is probably a defense he’ll use when he actually kills someone. He leaves garbage everywhere. He has moments where he’s lucid and normal, and then something happens and he becomes deranged and starts talking about chopping people’s heads off with a machete. He needs to be put into a mental health institute. Living on the street changes people… and maybe he was a good person once but he no longer is and he needs medication and to be in jail for awhile so he can get help. Otherwise be prepared for him to murder someone. He was chasing someone down the street the other day at 10am yelling that he was going to chop that guys head off because he’s a trained assassin.
You might be confusing him with a very similar slob, but latter is taller and hoards bike tires.
One reason peeps are homeless is they are difficult personalities to otherwise share rent with. That’s why we need homebuilders to build what the City urban planners call SRO: single room occupancy units, like motel rooms or dorms. But that’s just the beginning of the problem. They’d need to have certain features and rules, too. To civilize the difficult personalities and prevent non-resident miscreants from setting up criminal and addiction nests there, too.