Homeless man arrested for raping woman in tent encampment near GRACE
Updated on August 13 with comment from Executive Director of GRACE Marketplace
Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Rodney Lee Gillis, 43, was arrested yesterday and charged with sexual battery after a woman at GRACE Marketplace said she had been raped.
The victim told a responding Gainesville Police Department officer that her grandfather dropped her off at GRACE about five days ago to live there with a female relative, and she had been living in a tent at GRACE since then. She said other residents of GRACE have said her relative has been selling sex with her for drugs, but she said that had not been directly confirmed with her relative.
The victim said that on the day of the sexual battery, a man she knew as “Rod” approached her and her relative, and she went into her tent with the man but thought they were going to talk. Instead, she said, the man pushed her down, held her down, and sexually battered her. She said she repeatedly told him to stop, but he continued.
A witness helped the officer identify Gillis, who was arrested yesterday afternoon. Post Miranda, he reportedly said he had arrived at GRACE on August 9 and was introduced to the victim by her relative that same day. He said he went into his tent alone with the victim and they had consensual sex. He reportedly said the victim’s relative was “right outside the tent” while he was inside the tent with the victim for about 30 minutes.
Gillis has at least seven felony convictions (two violent) and eight misdemeanor convictions (two violent). He has served three prison sentences, with the first two out of Alachua County and the third for selling cocaine in Duval County; he was last released in June 2023. Judge Kristine Van Vorst ordered him held without bail pending a hearing on a motion by the State Attorney’s Office to hold him without bail until trial.
Jon DeCarmine, Executive Director of GRACE Marketplace, sent this comment: “Though the individual arrested for this may have had a GRACE address, he was not a resident here, nor had he received any services at ANY homeless service provider in Alachua County since 2021. Thousands of people receive mail at the GRACE address, but this doesn’t mean they are residents of the campus or service recipients. Our staff had been involved in helping the police identify suspects and the victim, and had worked to connect the victim to Adult Protective Services prior to the incident. But to be clear, the perpetrator did NOT live at GRACE, nor did the incident happen at GRACE. It happened in the woods between GRACE and Tacachale, an area maintained by the City that is completely separate from GRACE services. As a general rule, if you ever see a police report referencing a person ‘living in a tent,’ that is not something that happened at GRACE. We have 140 shelter beds, but no tent camping area or any other overnight accommodations aside from the occasional cold weather or hurricane shelter.”
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.
When someone who is homeless gets released from prison they use grace market place as their address because they won’t get released unless they have an address. I heard several inmates talking about grace during my little stint in prison. And they were all dirt bags like this loser.
I would imagine those dirtbags thought much the same about you. Glass houses, and all that, ya know?
Wow Jeff, I guess it’s ok for you to make “Cracker” just as equal as the rapist without even knowing what he was in for. Not justifying any criminal activity but people do make mistakes. Maybe you should address the judges and the system for letting the violent criminals out to do the same thing over and over again. I wonder what you would be saying if a female in your family was raped. I guess dirt bag would be a kind word.
Uh as usual, you read what you wanted, and not what was said. He categorized all he was in with was dirtbags and I responded that maybe they .thought the same as him. I didn’t say rapists or use any crime as criteria. But just to be more clear, if it was a minor offense, he wouldn’t have been in the same place as rapists or murderers. How do I know this? Because I too was in prison. For possession of pot In 1981. Non violent offenders are in minimum security as opposed to medium and maximum for serious crimes. So you know what making assumptions is known as..right?
Why don’t you have Rodney come stay at your house.? I’m sure he would respect your property, family, and personal space. Just remember when the lights go out and that touch you feel isn’t Rodney saying hello.
We’re you made to do womanly things while in? You are beginning to sound like it..I’m through with you until November, then I’ll put the hammer down
No sorry never been arrested or jailed. I am mixed race straight male who likes females. I know that annoys you in your utopia of fantasy genders and high school chemistry kits. Keep your dreams to yourself. Again seek help you can take Trump’s hand he has extended that olive branch to you.
Plus you need to lower the temperature Liberal. You talking about a hammer may warrant a call to Nancy Pelosi’s husband to warn him.
just another grace animal
Its like the local police totally forgot about the ” plain clothes”
approach.
there should be multiple plain clothes officers at grace 24/7.
The police department doesn’t even have enough officers to patrol the streets appropriately. Undercover details at Grace Marketplace are likely the least of staffing concerns.
Better yet close the money pit down they don’t appreciate it they rob, steal, assault tax payers.
@FED: Ever since Pandering Poe screwed GPD in contract negotiations back in ’17 & caused tons of officers to leave, their staffing never recovered. There used to be officers assigned to Dis-Grace but cause of staffing there aren’t anymore. Regular patrol still never has enough staffing.
And plain clothes officers at Dis-Grace would get sniffed-out QUICK, btw
SCUMMY bail bondsmen and public lawyers are getting what they wanted. Just in time for the DNC Convention in Chicago they got tickets for.
Bail was denied, but it’s your m.o. to say this every time? That’s makes your scummy
I sense despair in your comment. Finally seeing the wheels come off the Orange One, huh?
You are so sad. You are ate up with Trump Anxiety Disorder. Seek help Liberal Jiffy there is still time.
Not much for you though, 87 days
It’s been the plan since Obama days. See https://mrcfreespeechamerica.org/blogs/business/tim-kilcullen-joseph-vazquez-tom-olohan-dan-schneider/2024/08/12/law-dis-order-how
Well, that looks like a reputable unbiased source and of course it focuses on the only billionaire who spends money to influence our politics. Thank God Republican judges passed and their political leaders have defended Citizens United – that’s the ruling that made it legal for rich guys like Soros to give unlimited money to political campaigns and often secretly. Democrats have pledged to end it.
In the meantime, that BS link offers no proof for it’s allegations.
15 convictions and 3 prison sentences should make him eligible as the mixer of the mosquito insecticide that the city is planning to spray. This relative of the victim needs to be included too.
Bear: you’re a smart guy! That mosquitoes poison is bad! ☠️
There’s a warning label on the can!
It kills more than mosquitoes! Your backyard garden & fruit are no longer organic.
It’s a lot of demonic people that smoke meth and do other bad stuff. That was obvious to anyone who observed the encampment on SE 4th Place, especially late at night when it was like a zombie fest.
“The victim told a responding Gainesville Police Department officer that her grandfather dropped her off at GRACE about five days ago to live there with a female relative, and she had been living in a tent at GRACE since then. She said other residents of GRACE have said her relative has been selling sex with her for drugs, but she said that had not been directly confirmed with her relative.”
Huh? The perp will get off (sorry, I mean “not be successfully prosecuted”) because the victim is way too tainted by association with drugs and s*x.
Sounds to me that she was selling sex also…
Period. Who goes into a tent with a random dude without the intentions to have sex….
He must’ve not paid up.
Sad that she’s selling herself and said that out tax dollars are funding a homeless sanctuary for drugs, violence ad crimes.
Sad you are blaming a victim of a crime. Period.
You won’t find any empathy from most on here. They feel everyone who doesn’t think like them is a left wing nutcase, and blame everything in their sad little lives on them. Have sympathy for them, their lives are going to get a lot worse very soon
Lower the temperature liberal.
Blaming a victim? shes a victim but not a rape victim read between the lines.
Her story – The victim said that on the day of the sexual battery, a man she knew as “Rod” approached her and her relative, and she went into her tent with the man but thought they were going to talk. Instead, she said, the man pushed her down, held her down, and sexually battered her. She said she repeatedly told him to stop, but he continued.
his story – He said he went into his tent alone with the victim and they had consensual sex. He reportedly said the victim’s relative was “right outside the tent” while he was inside the tent with the victim for about 30 minutes.
– He met her while she was with her relative that same day. 1.) For what reason would your relative leave you alone with a stranger after just meeting him. 2.) Why as a female you would go into a tent with a stranger. 3.) You got to know the lifestyle to understand.
He didnt rape her, He pissed her tf off that’s what happened.
(judge) “held without bail pending a hearing on a motion by the State Attorney’s Office to hold him without bail until trial.”
Does this surprise anyone? Just another day at the Dis-Grace play ground. Politicians who fund this with our money should be ashamed. They basically allow this to happen. Commissioners should hold their meetings there in the evening. And no law enforcement allowed.
Ain’t no grace at the Marketplace
Grandfather dropped her off? Why didn’t they stay with grandfather?
Grandfather probably had enough of her BS. There’s only so much help you can give them, if they refuse to take it, you have to try tough love. And most of the time even when they hit rock bottom, it doesn’t click. Sad but grandfather shouldn’t stress himself out and suffer.
facts!!
Sounds a bit iffy. He says, she says. He will get off.
The same people who complain endlessly about the homeless here and don’t want to pay for any facilities for them, also complain about not enough security at Grace. Yes, there should be, but these things cost money, and Grace is the reason downtown has many fewer homeless people than 10 years ago, including a group that lived in the Plaza. An alternative place to stay is also necessary under court rulings and a recent DeSantis sponsored law for arresting those who camp on public facilities.
You’re like babies crying for something you’re never going to get because it’s impossible!