A registered sex offender was arrested early Monday after police said he falsely identified himself while being escorted from 101 Cantina in Midtown.
At about 1:30 a.m., Dennis Richard Millner, 42, gave officers a false name after being banned from the restaurant and bar, located at 1632 W. University Ave. He told officers his name was Denny Richard Robinson, but that name came up as a young black man when police looked it up.
Police found Millner’s driver’s license after searching him, which confirmed his name and age. Police also discovered Millner had a Tallahassee warrant for leaving town despite being a registered sex offender.
He was arrested on his warrant and charges of providing a false name to a law enforcement officer. His bond is currently set at $25,000.
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A patient at a rehabilitation center was arrested Monday morning after he hit one of the employees in the face with a closed fist.
Anthony Dwayne Howard was said to be acting aggressively toward other patients and staff at Gainesville’s Meridian location, 4300 SW 13th St. A report said the 42-year-old made remarks about wanting to fight someone at the center and was seen walking around the area with a closed fist.
The victim, a staff tech for the facility who was wearing scrubs, was clearing patients from the area. As the victim walked by at about 10 a.m., Howard punched her on the left side of her jaw. She said she had minor pain in her jaw, but did not request medical attention.
He was arrested on charges of battery and his bond had not been set as of press time.
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A Gainesville man was arrested Sunday after police said he broke into an empty house and stole almost $700 worth of items.
A woman called police after she returned to her apartment and found her back door open after she had been gone for a few days. She said the attic’s ceiling was also open and she noticed many items missing.
When police arrived at the victim’s apartment at 6417 SW Ninth Ave., they saw Joseph Tyree Smith walking out of a connecting apartment two doors down wearing a necklace with a heart on it, which the victim reported as being stolen. Smith, 34, told police it was a gift from his girlfriend but later changed his story.
After he was read his rights, Smith told police his friend — whom he identified to police as 40-year-old Danny Jermyn McClendon — smashed through the next-door apartment’s back window and crawled through the attic space to access the victim’s residence last Wednesday at 6 p.m. Smith said McClendon then let him inside of the apartment to move the victim’s belongings back to his place. Police recovered most of the missing items.
While police were searching Smith, they found a small plastic bag with about two grams of marijuana in his right pocket. They also found cigars, which Smith said he used to smoke the marijuana.
Smith was arrested on charges of burglary of an unoccupied dwelling, grand theft, possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. His bond is currently set at $20,000.
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Police said the two pedestrians hit while attempting to cross the intersection of NW 17th Street and University Avenue in front of the Swamp Restaurant area late Friday will likely be cited for pedestrian violations.
UF students Christopher D. Olson, 21, and Audrey E. Clark, 20, suffered severe, non-life-threatening injuries. The driver, Sonya Williams, 40, had the green light.
Police are awaiting toxicology reports.
Police stand on West University Avenue after a man and woman were struck by a car while crossing the street without a signal Friday night.
