One arrested, two charged with severely beating a man in GRACE Marketplace laundry room
BY JENNIFER CABRERA
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Dante Lamar Davis, 40, was arrested yesterday and charged with felony battery after allegedly severely beating a man in the laundry room at GRACE Marketplace. Sworn complaints have been filed against Yusef K Leslie, 46, and Nehemiah Andrew Gibson, 32, in the same case.
A Gainesville Police Department officer responded to a call about an incident that happened at GRACE Marketplace at about noon on February 24. The victim told the officer that he was in the laundry room when Leslie approached him from behind and punched him in the face with a closed fist. He said he fell into the washing machine, and Leslie allegedly continued to punch him, causing the victim to fall to the ground. Davis then allegedly began punching the victim, and Leslie allegedly kicked him twice in the face. The victim said he was able to stand up at that point, but Leslie allegedly punched him repeatedly, causing him to fall to the ground again.
The victim said that Davis put him in a choke hold while Leslie kicked and punched him, then Davis released him, and they all walked out of the laundry room. The victim said that Gibson watched the incident and encouraged Davis and Leslie to continue hitting him.
A few minutes later, the victim returned to the laundry room, and Gibson allegedly walked in after him and punched him in the face. The victim fell to the ground, where Gibson allegedly punched him multiple times before leaving the laundry room.
Both incidents were reportedly captured on surveillance video, which was viewed by the officer. The victim told the officer that he did not know his attackers and didn’t know why they attacked him. The victim was trauma-alerted to the hospital with a collapsed lung, multiple broken ribs, a concussion, and a one-inch gash over his eyebrow.
All three of the victims fled before officers arrived. Davis was taken into custody yesterday, and warrants for the others are reportedly forthcoming.
Davis has nine felony convictions (two violent) and has served two state prison sentences, both for felony battery, with his most recent release in 2013. Davis was arrested in October 2022 for domestic battery by strangulation and was released on his own recognizance after prosecutors failed to file formal charges by the 40-day deadline.
Judge Aymer “Buck” Curtin set bail at $25,000.
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.Â
We’re obviously in need of better, more effective prosecutors if they can’t even file the proper paperwork on time. How inept and unprofessional do you have to be to make a career of being an attorney? They can’t or don’t want to put a “tickler” on their calendar? They should put a new policy in place, if proper legal paperwork isn’t filed correctly within the 40 day requirement, they’re fired.
Either that or let the public charge and sentence these menaces to society.
dang! this city is a nightmare, those cowardly a’holes that did this need to be surrounded by their own and mercilessly beaten and thats coming from a compassionate person. again, all good people please move out of this hellhole cesspit of a city
beat there ass til they cant stand
A prosecutor has to have a good faith basis to file charges. That good faith is not just a belief, he has to talk to live witnesses regarding the incident, they have to be sworn and under oath. If he does not have the sworn statements he needs from the witnesses he cannot file charges. I have no doubt that the prosecutor really wanted to file charges, it is not his fault. Btw I’m not a prosecutor.
Perhaps it is time for the State to come in and clean up the legal cesspool that Gainesville and Alachua County have become. The District Attorney and assistant DAs, GPD, Alachua County Sheriff’s Department, the judicial system, probation officers, Grace Marketplace and the correctional officers. I don’t believe there is a day that goes by that there isn’t a major crime committed here and many times, those crimes are committed by cThe alleged criminal is released under own recognizance, bail is set too low. In a lot of cases, these crimes are committed by repeat offenders with long criminal records who should still be incarcerated. Another thought is the that the standard test to become a law enforcement officer needs to be elevated to where it once was not the test currently being used to allow people who can’t pass the former exam to be able to be a law enforcement officer. I am a fourth generation resident of this city and county and a seventh generation resident in the State of Florida, and shudder when I see what is taking place here in this ultra liberal blue city and county. Time for the State of Florida to step in and clean up this mess.
Why does GRACE allow unscreened non-residents use their laundry facilities? Surely that offender was not using it by permission, right?
And why doesn’t GRACE set up a GPD and EMS satellite office there, and buy an extra ambulance with their political donation income?
GPD actually used to have 2 officers assigned specifically to Grace. But then Lauren Poe hosed GPD (again) in a final contract determination on 9/7/17, which caused a mass exodus of officers. Over 60+ left GPD after that. GPD still isn’t close to recovered, and can’t even adequately staff the city 5 or 6 days/nights a week.
CLOSE GRACE already!!!
Come to Grace for your beatdowns! One of their many ‘amenities’…just ask the concierge?
Close. Grace. Market. Place. Down.
I thought there was a time limit on how long someone could live at Grace? This guy was there a year ago (March of 2022) when he was arrested for not paying child support, and he was living there again in October of 2022 when he choked his girlfriend because she wouldn’t show him her phone so he could check to see if she was cheating. And he’s living there again, now? I thought it was a transition-type place with a 60 day limit. If this guy, (who was born in ’82, so he’s only 40) can beat the crap out of someone, he can WORK!! Let’s require that folks work for their room and board at Grace if they are able-bodied. Make it something they have to earn, and, if they get arrested and charged due to illicit activities there, they get permanently banned! Who makes the rules there, anyway – and ARE their any rules? Good god.
Dangle: excellent idea.
With the city need to do budget cuts this should next right after # 1 cutting their raises #2 market place