Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Bruce Edward Darby, Jr., 42, was arrested yesterday when he allegedly fled from deputies who were trying to arrest him on a warrant and scaled a fence onto the campus of the Horizon Center.

A Gainesville Police Department officer reported that Darby was fleeing apprehension by Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputies and ran onto the campus while children were on the playground and also walking between the portables. The officer reported that Darby climbed a chain link fence to enter the school property and Alachua County Public Schools Chief of Security Doug Pelton said the district wanted to file a charge of trespassing on school grounds.

The warrant was for failing to appear at a hearing on a felony case for criminal mischief; Darby allegedly kicked the doors of a car, causing over $1,000 damage. He is also facing three sworn complaints and a summons to appear in four misdemeanor cases but has not yet been booked on those; three are for stalking, and one is for property damage.

Darby has seven felony convictions (two violent) and six misdemeanor convictions (none violent). He has served two state prison sentences, with his most recent release in 2016.

Judge Susan Miller-Jones set bail at $40,000 and ordered him trespassed from all school district properties.

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.