Florida incoming freshman arrested for trespassing after altercation with woman

Football

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Florida Gators athlete Justin Watkins, an incoming freshman who inked with the team this recruiting cycle, was arrested Tuesday for for trespassing on school grounds, though the incident that led to his arrest was more serious as it involved an altercation with a woman.

According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by the Tampa Bay Times, Watkins, 19, had a verbal altercation with a woman at her residence and took her cell phone before jumping into an SUV and driving away. The woman got into a car to follow Watkins, and the two wound up at a local gas station where Watkins allegedly “purposefully threw [the phone to the] ground causing the screen to shatter.”

The woman then left for Vanguard High School with Watkins following and parking behind the woman’s car in the school lot. He allegedly left his car to “kick her vehicle” and “attempted to let the air out of her passenger rear tire” before she stopped him and then “left the parking lot to get away from him.”

Watkins drove off at that point, but the officer visited the school’s dean of students, reviewed parking lot camera footage and created a probable cause affidavit for Watkins due to him having “no legitimate purpose for being on the school campus.”

He was booked at 3:48 p.m. on Tuesday and released Wednesday at 2:37 a.m. after posting a $500 bond, according to state records.

“We are aware of the incident with Justin and are still collecting information,” head coach Dan Mullen said in a statement released by the school.

Ranked as the 89th best player in the nation, Watkins was expected to join Florida as a wide receiver but will actually begin his career in the secondary due to an immediate need at the cornerback position.

Early during spring practice, which Watkins did not attend as he has not yet enrolled at UF, Mullen said he had already discussed the possibility with Watkins but would ultimately let him choose to play where he felt most comfortable in 2018.

It is anticipated that Watkins will enroll at Florida for the Summer B session.