Rashad Breon Jones, 20, whose address is listed as Jacksonville, is being held without bail after his girlfriend told police he choked her, overturned an air mattress she was lying on and threatened to shoot her during a domestic dispute Wednesday. Jones was arrested on charges of domestic aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and domestic battery.
The arrest account says the confrontation occurred Sept. 16 after Jones became angry with his girlfriend. She told police he choked her, overturned the mattress and reached for a pistol under a couch while threatening to shoot her, according to the Alachua Chronicle. She left the residence and went to Gainesville Police Department headquarters to report the incident.
The woman told officers she feared for her life. A witness also reportedly told police that they had seen Jones conceal a pistol and had previously seen him battering his girlfriend, according to the same account. Investigators found no local criminal history for Jones in Alachua County, while the woman told them he had fired a round at her during an earlier incident in Jacksonville. The arrest account does not establish whether that allegation resulted in charges.
Judge Orders No-Bail Hold Pending Hearing
Judge Luis Bustamante ordered Jones held without bail pending a formal hearing, after the State Attorney's Office moved to keep him detained until trial. If the no-bail motion is ultimately denied, Bustamante will set a bond amount at that hearing. Jones lists a Jacksonville address, and the arrest report does not indicate whether any charges have been filed there over the alleged earlier shooting incident.
What the detention standard requires
Under Florida's Rules of Criminal Procedure, a defendant may be detained when no release conditions can reasonably protect the community, ensure the defendant's appearance at trial or preserve the integrity of the judicial process, according to the Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure. That standard concerns pretrial release and does not determine whether the allegations against Jones will be proven.
Florida law allows prosecutors to seek pretrial detention without bail in qualifying violent-crime cases when the court finds that no release conditions can reasonably protect the public, according to the Florida Senate. The court must decide whether continued detention is justified under the applicable pretrial-release standards.
What Jones Could Face If Convicted
The domestic aggravated assault charge is filed under Florida Statute § 784.021. Separately, the domestic battery charge is filed under Florida Statute § 784.03, according to The Florida Legislature.
If prosecutors establish that Jones was in actual possession of a firearm during the assault, Florida's 10-20-Life sentencing law could come into play. Under Florida Statute § 775.087, a conviction for aggravated assault involving firearm possession carries a mandatory minimum of three years in state prison, according to the Jeff T. Gorman Law Offices. As with any arrest, the charges against Jones remain accusations rather than proven guilt, per the Alachua Chronicle's own disclaimer.
Local Domestic Violence Numbers and Resources
The Gainesville Police Department handles domestic-violence investigations under a pro-arrest policy. Victims can also contact Alachua County Victim Services. Peaceful Paths Domestic Abuse Network, the certified domestic violence center for Alachua, Bradford, and Union counties, runs a crisis helpline at 352-377-8255 offering emergency shelter and advocacy, according to the University of Florida.
Key questions remain unresolved, including whether Jacksonville authorities have filed any charges over the earlier alleged shooting and what bond, if any, Bustamante will set if the no-bail motion is denied.
