By Newsroom Staff

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In a troubling incident that unfolded Saturday night, 53-year-old Antonio Miranda was taken into custody for allegedly exposing himself in a bustling area near the University of Florida campus. The incident occurred after the UF Homecoming game, a time when the vicinity was teeming with students.

The Gainesville Police Department was alerted to the situation around 11:10 p.m. on October 18. An officer stationed in the 1800 block of West University Avenue was approached by several women and a security guard from a nearby venue. They reported that Miranda had indecently exposed himself and engaged in lewd behavior in front of the students. One individual even presented video evidence of the incident to the officer.

Upon confronting Miranda, the officer noted that he immediately apologized. Witnesses at the scene identified him by pointing and exclaiming, “That’s him!” Miranda reportedly expressed a desire to be placed under the Baker Act, opting for mental health evaluation to avoid incarceration. Following his arrest, Miranda allegedly used racial slurs towards the jail staff and showed little remorse, stating he was unconcerned about his actions since he expected to be released soon.

Miranda reportedly asked to be Baker-acted because he didn’t want to go to jail. After he was arrested, he reportedly used racial epithets to refer to the jail staff, and he said he didn’t care what he did because he would be out of jail soon.

Miranda, who is described as homeless on the arrest report, has been charged with disturbing the peace and indecent exposure with a previous conviction for indecent exposure. He has six felony convictions (three violent) and 29 misdemeanor convictions (non-violent) and has served two state prison sentences, with his most recent release in July 2025. Judge James Colaw set bail at $110,000.

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.