Homeless man arrested for hitting elderly homeless woman with metal trash can lid
Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Chadrick Rodell Smith Jr., 28, was arrested early this morning after allegedly hitting a 65-year-old woman with a metal trash can lid because she was making too much noise and he could not sleep.
At about 1:10 a.m. on August 22, a Gainesville Police Department officer responded to the Rosa Parks Transfer Station (700 SE 3rd Street), where Smith, the victim, and a witness were trying to sleep on adjacent benches.
The victim said she got up to use the restroom, and a man approached her and the witness aggressively before picking up a metal can lid and throwing it at her. She said the lid hit her shoulder.
The witness reportedly said the man approached them, very upset, and then picked up a trash can lid and threw it, hitting the victim. The witness and victim said they did not know the man.
Smith said he had been trying to go to sleep, but he became upset with the victim and witness because they were making noise; he reportedly admitted to picking up the trash can lid and throwing it at the witness.
Smith, who is homeless and was trespassed indefinitely from GRACE Marketplace in June 2025, has been charged with aggravated battery on a victim over the age of 65. He has three felony convictions (non-violent) and six misdemeanor convictions (non-violent); he recently served 49 days in the Alachua County Jail for trespassing at GRACE after a warning and was released in early July. Judge Adam Lee set bail at $20,000 on the new charge.
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.
This is what y’all liberals voted for. Why don’t yall just move Grace Marketplace downtown or in the center of U.F. since you all love the “houseless” so much. They are such saints.
Can you believe our so called electorate keeps voting in the people that are responsible for our growing homeless problem? I guess it’s true….you can’t fix stupid.
“Smith, who is homeless and was trespassed indefinitely from GRACE Marketplace in June 2025”, is that even reasonable by Grace, a so called no barrier shelter? If he’s banned indefinitely at Grace can we ban him from Alachua County and maybe give him a ride to Ocala where he can start over fresh?
Maybe is his brain cells inspired him to LEAVE TOWN, he would not keep getting caught up in the courts just to feed scummy ass lawyers?
Thanks city commission! 😫
So we built up Archer Avenue with Butler Plaza, Celebration Point, Walmart, Sam’s and lots of pretty places to panhandle and camp out. We forced restaurants like Olive Garden to move and become cramped, noisy places. Then we invited even more homeless persons to join the fun.
Butler Plaza has listening devices and cameras galore. Celebration Point has signs that are lovely to look at until you realize that they are warning of the criminal activities that abound in the area and threaten arrest. Good job. I feel safe.
We no longer have a mall that is easier to police, we also have a shopping area that is usable only by car and many people can’t drive. Good job.