Homeless man arrested for hitting ex-girlfriend with metal pole

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Montray Ja’tawan Debose, 23, was arrested yesterday for allegedly hitting his ex-girlfriend with a metal pole in a tent behind GRACE Marketplace.

The victim told a responding Gainesville Police Department officer that at about 6:10 p.m. on July 15, she was in a tent behind GRACE Marketplace (3055 NE 28th Drive) with another person when Debose, her ex-boyfriend, arrived and told the other person to leave; the other person left, and Debose allegedly told the victim he would “beat” her and that she would be “f***ed up by morning.” She said she felt something hit her in the lower body through the tent and saw that Debose was holding a three-foot-long metal pole. Debose was not at the scene when the officer arrived, and he was arrested at the intersection of NE Waldo Road and NE 39th Avenue on Thursday morning.

The officer reported that while the pole did not cause serious injury this time, it could cause serious harm if Debose used it to hit a different part of the body or if he used more force.

Debose has been charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.

Debose has no criminal convictions, but a pre-trial diversion agreement was revoked in February 2026 after he failed to comply with the conditions of the agreement. When he failed to appear at a hearing in that case in April, a warrant for his arrest was issued, and he was also booked on that warrant yesterday. Judge Susan Miller-Jones set bail at $45,000 on the new charge and $1,000 for failure to appear at a 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.