Homeless man on probation arrested for hitting wheelchair-bound woman

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Isaiah Deonte Perry, 27, was arrested yesterday for hitting a wheelchair-bound woman at GRACE Marketplace; he was also charged with giving a false name to an officer and violating probation.

At about 10:25 a.m. on June 17, a Gainesville Police Department officer responded to GRACE Marketplace (3055 NE 28th Drive), where the victim, who is wheelchair-bound and has been diagnosed with cancer, said she had been taking her prescribed medications when Perry got up from his bed and turned the lights off in the dorm.

The victim said she went outside and vented to another resident before driving her wheelchair down the sidewalk. She said Perry came outside, walked up to her, then hit her on the side of her head and spit on her. She said Perry told her, “Don’t f*** with me. You don’t know who you’re f***ing with,” before walking away; she said GRACE employees escorted Perry off the property.

At about 4 p.m. on June 24, a GPD officer received information that Perry was hiding out in the area of 3035 NE 28th Drive and asked the owner of a tent in that area to unzip the flap so he could see whether Perry was inside. The officer reported that Perry covered himself and lay face down to avoid being identified.

Perry allegedly gave a false name and date of birth to the officer before spontaneously admitting he had lied once he realized the officer knew who he was.

Perry has been charged with aggravated battery on a person 65 years or older, giving a false name to a law enforcement officer, and violating probation by committing a new crime. He has three felony convictions (one violent) and two misdemeanor convictions (non-violent). He was arrested in August 2022 for stabbing a woman at Campus Walk Apartments, in June 2024 for stealing food from the Black on Black Crime Task Force, and again in June 2024 for trying to stab a woman with an ice pick; charges in the stabbing cases were later dropped, but he was sentenced to 13 months in state prison, followed by two years of house arrest (community control) after entering a plea of nolo contendere to charges in the burglary/theft case. Perry was released from prison on June 3, 2025.

Judge Meshon Rawls ordered him held without bail until the probation violation case is resolved and set bail at $25,000 on the aggravated battery 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.