Man on probation arrested for attempted homicide after allegedly beating victim with a metal pole

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Brandon Rachard Hines, 34, was arrested this morning for allegedly beating a man with a metal pole from a chain link fence; the victim reportedly sustained a traumatic brain injury, a fractured skull, and a watershed stroke.

According to an Alachua County Sheriff’s Office detective, the victim was transported to a hospital by ambulance on July 26 from the 2300 block of NE 71st Terrace.

After the incident was reported on August 4, the detective spoke with the victim’s mother, but at that time, the victim was still in a medically induced coma with a breathing tube. On August 7, the detective was able to speak with the victim in the hospital, and the victim reportedly said Hines had hit him with a metal pipe that is used to support a chain link fence. He said Hines was trying to force him to sign a vehicle title over to him, but he refused, and Hines attacked him.

The person who called the ambulance reportedly said he found the victim bleeding from the head and also provided surveillance video. The detective reported that the videos showed a black male approaching the victim and then punching the victim multiple times until the victim fell to the ground. The male could then be seen picking up a metal pipe from the ground and hitting the victim all over his body for several minutes, seemingly targeting his head. The victim can be heard screaming in pain and begging the male to stop, and the male repeatedly says, “Where is your money, [expletive]?” The male continues beating the victim, and when he stops, he picks up the victim’s cell phone, which was dropped during the attack, and walks away. The victim can be seen crawling to his car on his hands and knees, and several minutes later, a witness finds him and calls 911; the detective noted that the victim “would have likely died without medical attention.”

After Hines was identified as the defendant, Judge Denise Ferrero issued a warrant for his arrest on August 13.

Hines has been charged with attempted homicide, armed robbery, and depriving the victim of the ability to call 911. He has one felony conviction (non-violent) and two misdemeanor convictions (one violent); he was arrested in December 2024 for a domestic battery incident and later entered a plea of nolo contendere to the charges and was sentenced to five years of probation in June.

Hines will attend a First Appearance hearing tomorrow, and Judge Ferrero recommended that he be held without bail pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s office to hold him without bail until trial; if the judge denies the motion, bail will be set at that hearing.

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.