George Zimmerman accused of pointing gun at girlfriend, deputies say

Zimmerman charged with assault, battery after dispute with girlfriend

SANFORD, Fla. – George Zimmerman has been arrested in Seminole County on Monday on aggravated assault, battery and criminal mischief charges after a dispute with his girlfriend where deputies say he pulled on a gun on her.

[PICS: Zimmerman arrested after disturbance | WATCH: SCSO holds news conference | AUDIO: Girlfriend calls 911 | Zimmerman calls 911]

Zimmerman, the 30-year-old Neighborhood Watch leader who was acquitted this summer in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, was booked into the Seminole County Jail at around 1 p.m. Monday, according to the sheriff's office. 

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Seminole County Sheriff's deputies were called to the home in the 1300 block of Topfield Court for the disturbance, which involved Zimmerman pointing a gun at his girlfriend, Samantha Scheibe. Local 6 spotted Scheibe being escorted out of the house by deputies after Zimmerman's arrest.

Deputies said Scheibe told them during a verbal fight, Zimmerman had broken a glass table and pointed a long-barreled shotgun at her, according to deputies.

Scheibe then called 911, deputies said.

"You just broke my glass table," she said in the call. "You just broke my sunglasses and you put your gun in my freaking face, and told me to get the (expletive) out. This is not your house!"

"Get out of my house," she said in the call. "Do not push me out of my house. Please get out of my house."

While on the phone with dispatchers, deputies said Zimmerman pushed Scheibe out the front door and then barricaded it with furniture.

"Are you kidding me? He just pushed me out of my house and locked me out," she said.

When authorities arrived at the scene, they used her house key to get into the home and were able to push through the items behind the door.

As deputies knocked at the door, Zimmerman called 911 and said officers were banging on the window, "my girlfriend, for lack of a better word, is going crazy ... I want everyone to know the truth."

Zimmerman claimed it was Scheibe who ransacked the house, not him, and denies pointing a gun at her.

"I never pulled a firearm, I never displayed it," said Zimmerman in the call. "When I was packing it, I'm sure she saw it. I keep it next to the bed."

Zimmerman said they were fighting because he agreed to move out of the house.

In the call, Zimmerman also said he doesn't want to argue with his girlfriend because she is pregnant with her child. He said that he doesn't have any weapons and that she saw a firearm while he was packing up his things to leave because they keep it next to the bed in a locked bag.

Schiebe told deputies, however, she is not pregnant. If so, that appears to be news to her boyfriend.

Zimmerman also told dispatchers that his girlfriend was the one who smashed the table and she has the weapons in the house.

Zimmerman was not armed when deputies arrived and surrendered without further incident, according to a release.

No injuries were reported and no one else was in the home at the time of the incident, deputies said. Authorities are waiting on a search warrant to find the alleged gun in the incident.

According to the SCSO jail website, Zimmerman was arrested at 1:43 p.m. He has been charged with aggravated assault with a weapon, battery/domestic violence and criminal mischief.

Monday night, Seminole County detectives carried evidence out of Schiebe's home, including a long black bag that was the size of a rifle.

Zimmerman's first appearance will be at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Deputies said they will ask for electronic monitoring of Zimmerman if he is given bond. In the meantime, Zimmerman is being held in a cell by himself on a no-bond status.

The case will be prosecuted by the Office of the State Attorney, 18th Judicial Circuit.

George Zimmerman's brother, Robert, took to Twitter after the news conference saying, "SCSO just finished their presser. No gun/s found, No injuries, No witnesses, No 'pregnancy.' Lots of 'claims.' Cue media's rush 2 judgment."

Neighbors tell Local 6 they've seen Zimmerman's Honda Ridgeline has been parked in front of Scheibe's home for several weeks but they did not realize who was staying at the home.

Zimmerman's wife, Shellie, announced in September that she was filing for divorce from her husband.

George Zimmerman has made headlines several times since his acquittal, including a domestic violence incident with his estranged wife, visiting a gun manufacturing facility in Brevard County and rescuing a family from an overturned SUV.

Watch Local 6 News and stay with ClickOrlando.com for more on this story.


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