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Staff Report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In the early hours of this morning, Andrew Jonathan Heise, a 19-year-old resident of Newberry, was taken into custody following an incident on the University of Florida campus. A mother and her daughter reported that an intoxicated individual assaulted them and attempted to forcefully enter their car.
The University of Florida Police Department received a call around 12:15 a.m. on April 19, directing them to 125 Buckman Drive near Fletcher Hall. The callers, a mother and daughter, were fending off a man who was aggressively trying to get inside their vehicle.
Upon arrival, the officers swiftly detained Heise and proceeded to gather statements from the two victims.
According to the mother, she was in the process of dropping off her daughter when an unknown man, later identified as Heise, began shouting profanities and charged at their car, attempting to open the doors. An onlooker intervened, pulling the man away temporarily. However, Heise managed to break free and resumed his aggressive approach towards the vehicle, leaving the mother and daughter in fear for their safety.
The first victim said she hit the man once in self-defense, but he tried again to get into their vehicle, trying to open doors on both sides of the vehicle. The first victim said she believed the man was trying to steal the vehicle.
The second victim reportedly corroborated the first victim’s story and said she was in fear for her safety when the man charged her and her mother.
An officer reported that surveillance video corroborated the victims’ accounts of the incident, and the video reportedly shows Heise being restrained multiple times but making his way back to the victims every time.
Post Miranda, Heise reportedly said he didn’t remember anything about the incident. An officer reported that he appeared to be very intoxicated and smelled strongly of alcohol. Heise reportedly admitted that he had been drinking.
Heise has been charged with two counts of assault, attempted burglary of a vehicle, and disorderly intoxication. He has no adult criminal history, and Judge Denise Ferrero ordered him released on his own recognizance.
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.