Gainesville Man Faces $75,000 Bail After Bus Stop Attack

A 75-year-old homeless man was booked into jail on Saturday after police said he assaulted a woman at a downtown Gainesville bus transfer station. Robert Mayes, also known as Mays, was taken into custody on October 31 at the Rosa Parks Transfer Station located at 700 SE 3rd Street.

Gainesville Police Department officers responded to the scene at approximately 3:30 p.m. The victim told the responding officer that she was standing near a bench when Mayes approached her. He accused her of stealing his belongings. According to the police report, Mayes shoved the woman onto a bench and struck her in the face eight times. The officer noted that her face was swollen and she had a cut on her chin.

Two witnesses, who were distributing food at the bus stop, corroborated parts of the account. They stated the victim asked them for a sandwich. While the witnesses were speaking with her, Mayes walked up and made the same accusation about stolen items. The witnesses described him slamming the victim onto the bench and punching her multiple times, estimating the number of strikes to be less than ten.

Following his Miranda rights warning, Mayes offered an explanation for the incident. He said he believed the victim took his backpack and sleeping bag because he had seen her near his items before they disappeared. Mayes admitted to slapping the woman twice across the face, a detail that differs from the victim's report of eight punches.

Mayes is listed as a resident of Wildwood. He has been charged with felony battery with a prior battery conviction. Because of mental health issues, he did not provide details to Justice Support Services regarding how long he has been in the area. His criminal record includes three felony convictions, one of which is violent, and three misdemeanor convictions. He served a prison sentence in Florida and was released in 1981. He also has unspecified criminal history from 1967 and 2016 in Michigan and South Carolina.

Judge Robert Groeb set bail for Mayes at $75,000. The charges are based on law enforcement reports and court records. They remain accusations until a court of law determines guilt or innocence.