Staff Report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Charles Milton Johns Jr., aged 42, was taken into custody yesterday after allegedly threatening a property owner and her four children with a machete, asserting his intention to protect his campsite at any cost.
Around 10:53 a.m. on June 10, an officer from the Gainesville Police Department responded to an incident at an office complex located in the 1600 block of NW 23rd Avenue. This followed a report from the property owner indicating Johns had been previously forbidden from the premises on May 14.
According to the responding officer, the confrontation began when the property owner approached Johns, who was brandishing a machete. He reportedly declared his readiness to defend his camp, menacingly waving the weapon in her direction. The property owner, along with her children, felt threatened and feared potential harm, prompting them to contact 911.
Upon the officer’s arrival, Johns was observed holding the machete while standing on the property, despite it being clearly marked with “No Trespassing” signs. This was in direct violation of the prior warning he had received about entering the premises.
Johns, whose address is listed as GRACE Marketplace, has been charged with five counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and trespassing after a warning. He has four felony convictions (one sexual) and two misdemeanor convictions (non-violent); he has served one state prison sentence and was released in January 2025. He served six months in the Alachua County Jail for a 2025 shoplifting conviction; he is a registered sexual offender in Florida and is also wanted in Georgia for violating probation.
Judge Susan Miller-Jones 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.