By Staff Reporter

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Andrew Stephenson Wise, aged 40, faced arrest on two occasions, October 18 and October 24, following investigations into incidents where he allegedly trailed female college students to their cars and attempted to enter the vehicles.

On October 18, at approximately 9:47 p.m., an officer from the Gainesville Police Department (GPD) responded to a disturbance at the Holiday Inn located at 1250 W. University Avenue. Upon arrival, the officer found hotel and restaurant guests evacuated due to a fire alarm activation. A witness claimed Wise was responsible for pulling the alarm, despite no fire being present. The same witness also alleged that Wise was uttering violent threats and was observed punching cars in the parking lot.

Wise was subsequently taken into custody and charged with disorderly conduct and the false activation of a fire alarm. Despite having no prior criminal record, Judge James Colaw set his bail at $5,000. Wise posted bond and secured his release from Alachua County Jail on October 19.

In the early hours of October 24, around 3:00 a.m., GPD officers maintained surveillance on Wise following reports that he had been shadowing female college students, causing them distress and discomfort. The report further indicated that Wise would try to open car doors, seemingly mistaking them for his intended ride home.

Officers reportedly watched Wise in an alley behind a strip of closed businesses in the 1700 block of West University Avenue, where Wise allegedly walked “suspiciously” between vehicles and then disappeared; an officer checked the doors to all of the businesses, and they were all locked.

About an hour later, a University of Florida Police Department officer notified GPD that Wise had been found sleeping inside a business on the same block. The front door of the business was locked, but an officer found that the rear door was unlocked and cracked open.

At first, Wise reportedly said nobody gave him permission to be inside the business, but at the jail, he said his friend “Mr. G” works at the business and told him he could go inside. An officer called “Mr. G” from Wise’s phone, but the person who answered reportedly said he does not work at the business.

The arresting officer noted that Wise has had “recent numerous law enforcement contacts,” including the fire alarm incident, “numerous” trespass warnings, and an increasing behavior of following women to their vehicles and trying to open their car doors. The officer wrote, “Now, with [Wise] being inside of a closed business, [he] couldn’t dispel my fear that he would not continue engaging in criminal activity in the area.”

A search incident to arrest reportedly produced 1.6 grams of pre-rolled marijuana; Wise reportedly does not have a medical marijuana card.

Wise was arrested and charged with loitering/prowling and possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana. Judge Jonathan Ramsey set bail at $20,000.

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.