Man arrested for attacking another patient at Meridian
Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Devon Lashaun Dukes, 24, was arrested yesterday and charged with battery and property damage after allegedly attacking another patient at Meridian and damaging a water fountain, leading to flooding and $15,000 in damage to the facility; Dukes is also facing sworn complaints for attacks on different patients at Meridian on June 3 and June 9.
At about 12:26 p.m. on June 30, an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy responded to Meridian Behavioral Healthcare (1541 SW Williston Road), where the victim reportedly said Dukes came into his room and hit him in the face with a piece of tile. The deputy reported that the victim had a cut on his lip that required four stitches on the outside and six stitches on the inside.
Dukes also allegedly removed various fixtures from the walls and ceiling at Meridian, including surveillance cameras, a water fountain, and tiles. The area flooded after the fixtures were damaged, resulting in damage to the flooring. The damage was estimated at $15,000.
Post Miranda, Dukes reportedly said nothing had happened that morning.
Dukes has been charged with felony battery and property damage over $1,000.
He is also facing two sworn complaints from separate attacks. On June 3, he allegedly hit another patient while the victim was sleeping in the common area, causing swelling to the victim’s face and lip. Security camera video reportedly showed the victim sleeping in a chair in the common room when Dukes walked up and punched him in the face for no apparent reason. On June 9, Dukes allegedly put a towel around the throat of a third patient and dragged him to the ground before biting him on the head; his actions appeared to have been unprovoked. The victim reportedly had a clear bite on his head that was actively bleeding. Staff members reportedly witnessed the incident, and it was shown on surveillance video.
Dukes has juvenile convictions between 2012 and 2018; he has no adult convictions, but two battery cases and seven trespassing cases have been dropped since 2022. Judge Kristine Van Vorst set bail at $200,000.
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.
He’s from high springs, go figure, where the brain eating amoeba strikes again!! These fools at hspd arrested ME for getting attacked and beat up on MY PROPERTY by my nextdoor neighbors and it was all caught on their ring doorbell camera yet they let the culprits go scotfree because I called them the N word, which is EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE!! They’re white as snow too just like me but who cares right?!? Oh yeah and the father that kicked me in my ribs is an ex cop from Georgia. I’m sure that had nothing to do with it, nor the fact he’s a 33rd degree freemason. His stepson attacked me after calling me the same multiple times for trying to talk to him about throwing a rock at my house and the father kicked me in the ribs while face down on the ground trying to defend myself from his crackhead kid!! Still no charges from the state attorney against them either! Shocking just like treating stupid fks like this kid with kit gloves! Send him to prison where he’ll be forced to learn manners the old stool way!!
This guy needs to go to a locked ward.
He’s mad at the world. Give him some meds.
Give him a lobotomy.
He can act out all he wants at the jail…some short shackles on his feet should slow him down …when he acts up , they can put him in a straight jacket…that will cure his BS.
Looks like another one ‘flew’ the kookoo nest.
Turk as he is known around, High Springs has definitely slipped through the system. His parents/grandparents both failed him on getting him mental help he needed early on. Maybe two years ago or less him and another man were arrested for robbing the bank across from where at work. He comes up to my job either harassing us; Or so sad and in tears crying, giving us some sad story. I’m not a doctor. I’m not going to diagnose him, but he has definitely slipped through the cracks and needs mental help. Period.