Man arrested for stabbing roommate
Updated January 27, 2024, with criminal history.
Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Richard Eugene Floto, 30, was arrested yesterday after allegedly stabbing his roommate.
A Gainesville Police Department officer responded to Hideaway Gainesville at 2800 SW Williston Road, where the victim reported that he and his roommate had gotten into an argument over a smelly t-shirt, so he left the apartment. He returned at about 5:30 p.m., and the argument began again.
The victim said Floto picked up a steak knife in the kitchen and stabbed himself in the arm, saying, “This is what Jesus did.” This reportedly resulted in a minor scrape on Floto’s arm.
The victim said he retreated to his bedroom while Floto chased him with the steak knife in his hand; he said that while he was trying to get his key into the door to unlock it, Floto stabbed him in the shoulder and middle of the back, then punched him in the face.
The victim said he finally got the door unlocked, closed and locked it behind him, then called 911. He said he believed Floto would have killed him if he’d had a bigger knife. The victim sustained two lacerations, and the responding officer reported that there was a “substantial amount” of blood on his shirt and in his bedroom.
Post Miranda, Floto reportedly declined to answer questions.
Floto has a juvenile conviction and one misdemeanor conviction; he is currently in a pre-trial diversion agreement for written threats to kill in Palm Beach County after allegedly sending a threat to a pastor that he would “slaughter your people” if the pastor did not send money to his Paypal account. A West Palm Beach news story from 2008 reported that Floto came home when he was 15 to find his father dead of suicide and his grandfather dead in a freezer. His grandfather’s death was determined to be from natural causes.
Judge Sheree Lancaster set bail at $300,000.
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.
“Floto came home when he was 15 to find his father dead of suicide and his grandfather dead in a freezer. His grandfather’s death was determined to be from natural causes.
Why of course. Who doesn’t put their relatives in the freezer?
Now, now… it’s referred to as cryogenic preservation.
If that’s what he does about a smelly shirt I’d hate to know what he’d do about not putting the toilet seat down.
Must admit, it would raise a red flag if I had to lock and unlock my bedroom from an idiot like this. Could have utilized that self-defense thing though. Save some taxpayers’ funds as well as prevented anyone from having to serve jury duty. No one likes that anyway.
I’m assuming it was his shirt that smelled
At least this bond amount seems more accurate than the guy that almost stabbed another guy but bit part of his ear off, his bond was super cheap
We need psychological and background checks before allowing people move here. To many “Nuts” move here.
Hideaway used to be called Campus Lodge, a once nice “luxury student” complex on Williston Rd…. But now 🥺
They’re not all moving here.
They’ve been living here for a while now. That’s why the city and county is so dysfunctional.
WTF are Florida’s rejects coming to Gainesville for?
Someone send the word out: you have no chance here unless you’re on student loans, or in a gumment-NGO circle jerk.
Well, looks like all knives will have to be banned now, what will it be next, baseball bats?
I see Judge Lancaster set an appropriate bail. Judge Green would have let him go with no bail. Oh oops, I take that back, kid’s the wrong color to get Green’s low/no bail. I won’t miss the racist Judge Green.
It’s probably one of those complexes that matches people with roommates. Is he a student? The complex might face some liability if there have already been complaints about him.
Crazy how nobody questioned the body in the freezer. Maybe they made a suicide pact? Imma lay in the freezer and u go shoot yourself mmkay? Wtf. Who finds their father dead of natural causes then puts him in the freezer and kills their self instead of calling 911?? That man prolly killed them both smh.