GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Anthony Levern Tumblin, 70, was arrested Monday night after police said he assaulted his girlfriend with a car-seat base, struck another man with objects from the yard, hit a child with a pan lid and damaged two vehicles.
A Gainesville Police Department officer was called to a home in the Duval neighborhood at about 10:15 p.m. on October 6. According to the female victim, she and Tumblin were arguing when he tried to remove her shirt and place an infant on her chest, telling her, “You need to feed the baby.” She said she told him to stop but kicked him in the face when he continued. Tumblin then reportedly removed his own clothing, prompting the woman to leave the room.
The argument continued, and Tumblin allegedly began throwing objects at the woman. A second victim came out of his room to investigate and was reportedly struck by a pan lid thrown by Tumblin. The man sustained minor bruising, according to the report.
The female victim reportedly slipped and fell, hurting her wrist. Police said Tumblin then grabbed the base of a child safety seat and struck her in the head with it.
A third victim, awakened by the disturbance, left his room and said he saw Tumblin on top of the woman while hitting her with the safety-seat base. The third victim reportedly punched Tumblin several times, causing him to move away from the woman.
Tumblin allegedly left the residence without clothing and began collecting and throwing objects from the yard. Investigators said he threw bricks, sticks, rocks and large metal propane tanks, striking the third victim in the head and shattering the windows of two vehicles parked in the driveway.
The third victim reportedly pursued Tumblin, who continued throwing objects. Police said Tumblin also tossed two containers of lighter fluid onto one of the vehicles in the driveway.
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Tumblin reportedly ran naked across the street while asking for assistance. A person in the area gave him a pair of shorts.
After being advised of his Miranda rights, Tumblin reportedly provided investigators with several different accounts of what happened. He initially said he and the female victim argued over the baby and their living conditions, then attributed the dispute to comments comparing her with his former wife. Tumblin said he offered to leave, which upset the woman, and claimed she pulled off his clothing. He said he reached the front door, where she allegedly removed his shorts, causing him to fall out of the house.
Tumblin also told police the third victim came outside carrying a knife and charged at him. He said he threw objects at the man, who returned inside before coming back out and allegedly charging again. Tumblin said he threw items randomly and could not remember what he struck or whether he hit any of the victims. He said he ran across the street, knocked on a door and picked up bricks from the street to throw at the third victim, who he claimed continued chasing him.
Tumblin was taken to a hospital for injuries sustained during the incident. While there, he reportedly told investigators that the female victim grabbed his shirt, flipped him to the ground and pressed against the side of his neck. He said he ran from the bedroom after she released him, but she grabbed his pants and tore them. Tumblin claimed the third victim came toward him with a knife, causing him to flee outside, where he scraped his leg on an old desk. He also said the third victim struck him in the face with a pan. Tumblin reportedly acknowledged breaking the vehicle windows with a propane tank and throwing two bottles of lighter fluid onto one of the vehicles.
Tumblin faces two counts of domestic battery and one count of child abuse without great bodily harm. Court records show four felony convictions, including two violent offenses, and nine misdemeanor convictions, four of them violent. He has served one state prison sentence and was released in 1994. Tumblin was also arrested on a domestic battery allegation in August, though those charges were later dropped. Judge Meshon Rawls set his bail at $55,000.