Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Travis Ramone Pinder, 34, was arrested early this morning and charged with aggravated child abuse after allegedly hitting a 17-year-old boy with a gun, tearing off part of his ear.

At about 3 a.m. on June 21, Gainesville Police Department officers responded to The Ridge on 34th (514 SW 34th Street), where the 17-year-old victim said he had been outside in the parking lot, talking to other people, when Pinder came out of his apartment, told the victim to go back inside the apartment, and yelled at the others.

The victim said Pinder walked up to him and hit him on the left side of his face with enough force that part of his ear was partially ripped off. The victim said he didn’t realize he’d been hit with a gun until he saw the gun in Pinder’s hand; he described the gun as a black Glock pistol.

The victim said a witness yelled to him that Pinder had just hit him in the face with a gun; he said he was in fear for his life and called 911.

The officer reported that even if the earlobe could be reattached, the victim was likely to have permanent scarring.

A witness corroborated the victim’s story and said Pinder was holding a gun, he saw Pinder hit the victim in the face, and he yelled to the victim that Pinder had hit him with a gun.

An officer reported that when he arrived, Pinder was standing by a vehicle but ran inside his apartment after making eye contact with the officer. Officers reportedly found a black handgun under the driver’s side seat in the vehicle, which was registered to Pinder.

Post Miranda, Pinder reportedly said he had gotten into a “tussle” with a group of unknown males and pushed the victim back after the victim got in his face and tried to fight him. He denied having a gun during the incident.

Pinder has been charged with aggravated child abuse. He has no local criminal history, but his address is listed as Ocala; he was arrested for domestic battery in Marion County in 2020, but the charge was later dropped. Judge Susanne Wilson Bullard ordered him 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.