Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Rockell Ta’qwan Ellison, 30, was arrested yesterday and charged with battery on a person over 65 after allegedly hitting an 82-year-old woman in the face at GRACE Marketplace.

At about 7 p.m. on May 11, a Gainesville Police Department Officer responded to GRACE Marketplace (3055 NE 28th Dr.), where a witness showed the officer a video that reportedly showed Ellison attacking the victim.

The officer reported that the video showed the 82-year-old victim seated in her wheelchair in a hallway when Ellison approached and yelled at the victim as she walked past her. After walking past the victim, Ellison allegedly turned and hit the victim in the face. The witness reportedly provided the officer with Ellison’s identity, and the officer reported that Ellison was “readily identifiable” in the video.

Ellison has six felony convictions (one violent) and one misdemeanor conviction (none violent). She is on drug offender probation in two cases: a 2022 charge of child neglect and a 2023 charge of hitting another inmate in the jail. Judge Jonathan Ramsey set bail at $75,000, the same amount recommended by Judge David Kreider in a May 20 warrant for Ellison’s arrest.

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.