Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Willie James Daniels, Jr., 36, was arrested yesterday for allegedly threatening to kill a woman and her two-year-old child with a knife, pushing the child, and spitting in the woman’s face.

At about 8:54 p.m. on May 27, an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy responded to an apartment at an undisclosed location, where the adult female victim said Daniels had been inside her apartment and she wanted him to leave. She said he started arguing with her and pushed her two-year-old child to the ground before picking up a kitchen knife and threatening to kill her and her child. As he started to leave, he allegedly spat in the woman’s face and then ran.

A witness told the deputy she encountered Daniels as he was leaving and said he admitted spitting in the woman’s face.

Daniels was found and arrested at the Circle K at 5237 SW 20th Avenue, and a search incident to arrest reportedly produced a small bag of marijuana.

Post Miranda, Daniels reportedly admitted spitting at the woman and said the child had been in his face, but he did not push the child. When asked about the knife, he reportedly “became very irate and began yelling that he did not have a knife.”

Daniels, who is described as homeless on the arrest report, has been charged with aggravated assault with intent to commit a felony, child abuse without great bodily harm, battery, and possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana. Locally, he has two misdemeanor convictions (non-violent). Judge Meshon Rawls set bail at $34,000.

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.