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Staff Report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Authorities have arrested 45-year-old Gary Mark Monroe Vanwinkle, accusing him of making death threats via Facebook Messenger to a patient at UF Health Shands Hospital.
According to an officer from the University of Florida Police Department, on March 3, Vanwinkle allegedly sent threatening messages to the patient. The messages purportedly stated his intention to visit the hospital to harm the victim with a baseball bat. He allegedly claimed that she deserved to die and threatened that he, along with his brothers, would pursue her and her family. In one of the messages, he reportedly wrote, “I’m going to hit you in the [expletive] face with a baseball bat.” Another message allegedly warned, “Now I am coming, get security ready.”
The officer subsequently filed a sworn complaint against Vanwinkle, accusing him of making written threats to kill or injure and the illegal use of a two-way communication device. On March 5, Judge Robert Groeb issued a warrant for Vanwinkle’s arrest, ordering him to be held without bail. Vanwinkle has a criminal history that includes 11 felony convictions, three of which are for violent offenses.
Note: Articles regarding arrests are based on official reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges mentioned stem from arrest documentation and/or court records and are merely accusations. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.