Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Sabra Lea Ranslow, 59, of Archer, has been arrested and charged with child abuse without great bodily harm after allegedly grabbing a child by the neck at Flip Factory.

The responding Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy reported that at 3:45 p.m. on March 1, the 11-year-old victim was playing with other children at the Flip Factory trampoline park (7400 W. Newberry Road) when another group of children approached. The second group was reportedly aggressive toward the victim’s group, causing the victim’s group to move away. The second group reportedly followed the victim, “badgering” him and pushing him. The victim told the deputy he pushed one of the other children away from him in an attempt to defend himself and create some distance.

At that point, Ranslow, who had arrived at the trampoline park with the second group of children, allegedly yelled at the victim, “Don’t touch my kid!” and grabbed the victim around the neck with both hands. The victim said he had trouble breathing and thought, “Is this actually happening?” The victim said Ranslow didn’t let go until another adult physically dragged her away, yelling, “We could go to jail!”

The deputy reported that surveillance cameras at Flip Factory captured the incident and showed the victim and several other children standing near the netted entrance to a set of trampolines; Ranslow can reportedly be seen aggressively approaching the victim and grabbing him by the neck with both hands. Another woman, who was wearing a surgical mask and a baseball hat, immediately grabbed Ranslow’s left arm and pulled her away from the victim. Ranslow and her group immediately left Flip Factory.

After Alachua County Sheriff’s Office published a request for the identity of the woman shown above on March 20, multiple people reportedly provided Ranslow’s name, and the victim positively identified her in a photo line-up.

Ranslow was arrested yesterday, and the deputy reported that she “acknowledged her involvement in this act” at the time of her arrest but declined to answer questions post-Miranda.

The deputy concluded that Ranslow’s actions were “without provocation and were undertaken with extreme malice toward the juvenile victim.”

Ranslow has been charged with child abuse without great bodily harm, a felony. She has no criminal convictions, and Judge Jonathan Ramsey ordered her released on her own recognizance.

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.