Staff Report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Montray Ja’tawan Debose, age 23, found himself in handcuffs yesterday following allegations of assaulting his former girlfriend with a metal rod behind the GRACE Marketplace facility.
The incident unfolded on the evening of July 15. According to the victim, she and another individual were occupying a tent located behind GRACE Marketplace at the time. Around 6:10 p.m., Debose reportedly arrived and instructed the other person to exit the tent. Once alone with his ex-girlfriend, Debose allegedly threatened her, asserting he would “beat” her and leave her “f***ed up by morning.” The victim recounted feeling a blow to her lower body through the tent wall, only to discover Debose wielding a three-foot-long metal pole. By the time the Gainesville Police Department officer reached the scene, Debose had vanished but was later apprehended Thursday morning at the intersection of NE Waldo Road and NE 39th Avenue.
While the victim did not sustain a major injury from the pole, the officer on duty noted that such a weapon could inflict severe harm if employed with greater force or aimed at more vulnerable areas of the body, underscoring the potential danger of the situation.
Now in custody, Debose faces a charge of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, bringing stark legal consequences for this violent escalation.
Debose has no criminal convictions, but a pre-trial diversion agreement was revoked in February 2026 after he failed to comply with the conditions of the agreement. When he failed to appear at a hearing in that case in April, a warrant for his arrest was issued, and he was also booked on that warrant yesterday. Judge Susan Miller-Jones set bail at $45,000 on the new charge and $1,000 for failure to appear at a hearing.
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.