Man arrested for breaking into church, flooding bathroom

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Travis J. Brensinger, 46, was arrested last night and charged with burglary, property damage, drug possession, and resisting an officer without violence after a member of Southwest United Methodist Church saw him in the church’s education building and called 911 at about 6:45 p.m.

Both Gainesville Police Department Officers and Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputies responded; GPD officers knocked on the doors and windows and made announcements for anyone inside to come out, but there was no response. A deputy made announcements over his patrol vehicle’s PA system for anyone in the building to come out, but nobody came out. A second set of announcements were made, and there was still no response.

An ASO K-9 team entered the building, and the K-9 began barking in the hallway of the education building; announcements were made outside the door that anyone inside should come out, but there was no response.

Brensinger was reportedly found in the last room in the hallway, and he reportedly looked toward the door as the K-9 team entered, then turned his body away and concealed his hands, which led to the decision to use the K-9 to apprehend him.

The mirror in the room was reportedly damaged, with the damage estimated at about $100. Brensinger also reportedly flooded one of the bathrooms.

A search incident to arrest reportedly produced pills in a bottle labeled for a different person; the pills were identified as quetiapine fumarate, which is classified as a “new legend” drug. Brensinger reportedly stated spontaneously, “I found those in the woods.” He also reportedly said that “Dixie” told him he could stay in the education building, but a church board member reportedly said he did not know anybody named Dixie at the church and that nobody had permission to be in the building.

Brensinger also reportedly stated spontaneously that he never heard the knocking on the door, the PA announcements, the barking of the K-9, or the police announcements.

Brensinger was transported to a hospital emergency room and treated for injuries caused by the K-9 apprehension.

Post Miranda, Brensinger reportedly declined to answer any questions.

According to court documents, Brensinger has been in the area for about three months. He has criminal histories in Pennsylvania in 2007 and in Texas between 2013 and 2022. He has active warrants from both Pennsylvania and Texas. Judge Thomas Jaworski set bail at $65,000.

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.