Benjamin Joseph Gamble, 38, was arrested in Jupiter after an alleged altercation involving a child and a woman. Police accused him of domestic battery by strangulation, aggravated child abuse, and intimidating or threatening a victim, witness or informant.
Jupiter police responded to the home around 11:23 a.m. on October 4 after receiving a report that someone may have been placed in a chokehold, according to WPBF 25. The station reported that investigators tied the confrontation to an argument over how to discipline a child.
According to the station's account of the police investigation, family members told officers Gamble forcibly removed a cross-body purse from the child, leaving an abrasion on the child's neck. The child reportedly said they felt scared. A woman also told investigators Gamble put her in a chokehold and restricted her breathing for several seconds; officers photographed an abrasion on her neck, WPBF reported.
Charges Include Witness Intimidation Allegation
Investigators also accused Gamble of trying to stop the woman from contacting law enforcement, according to the same account. Police charged him with felony domestic battery by strangulation, aggravated child abuse, and intimidating or threatening a victim, witness or informant, citing witness statements and physical evidence collected at the scene. Gamble was transported to the Palm Beach County Jail.
The Palm Beach And Broward Mugshots social-media post cited for the booking number and initial bond status does not substantiate those details, so they are not included here.
What the Charges Carry Under Florida Law
The most serious count Gamble faces is aggravated child abuse, which under Florida Statute § 827.03 is classified as a first-degree felony punishable by up to 30 years in state prison, up to 30 years of probation, and a $10,000 fine, according to Hanlon Law. Florida's Criminal Punishment Code assigns the charge a Level 9 offense severity ranking that carries a mandatory minimum prison sentence requirement upon conviction, per that same source.
Domestic battery by strangulation, meanwhile, is defined under Florida Statute § 784.041(2)(a) as knowingly and intentionally impeding the normal breathing or blood circulation of a family member, and is classified as a third-degree felony, according to the Florida Legislature. That classification carries maximum statutory penalties of up to five years in state prison and a $5,000 fine. A conviction on that charge also requires mandatory completion of a 29-week Batterers' Intervention Program on top of any prison time, probation, or fines, attorney Richard Hornsby notes.
The witness intimidation charge stems from Florida Statute § 914.22, which designates hindering or delaying a victim or witness from communicating crime information to law enforcement as a felony offense carrying up to five years in prison when connected to a third-degree felony case, according to Meltzer & Bell, P.A. Prosecutors frequently add tampering charges when a suspect is accused of trying to block emergency calls or prevent a victim from contacting police, the firm explains.
Case Moves to Specialized Domestic Violence Court
Gamble's case will likely be routed through the 15th Judicial Circuit Court's dedicated Domestic Violence Program, which oversees domestic violence criminal cases, emergency protective injunctions, and offender monitoring in Palm Beach County. Even if an alleged victim later asks that charges be dropped, Florida prosecutors retain sole authority to pursue or dismiss the case, according to attorney Roger P. Foley — once police file a probable cause arrest affidavit, the State Attorney's Office decides whether to proceed.
Local victims of domestic violence and child abuse have access to free, around-the-clock support through Palm Beach County Public Safety's Victim Services division, which offers crisis response, court advocacy, safety planning, and emergency assistance. Statewide, Florida law enforcement agencies record more than 100,000 domestic violence offenses annually, leading to over 60,000 arrests, according to figures published by the Florida Department of Children and Families.
What State Arrest Data Shows
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement's 2020 table lists 75 domestic-violence-related arrests for the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department. That is a historical figure for one municipality, not a countywide count of reported offenses or a current total; the table does not establish the countywide figure asked about.
