Man arrested for battery on senior citizen had been facing previous hate crime charge

A man who was arrested about a week ago in Pembroke Pines for felony battery with great bodily harm against a person 65 or older was also arrested for battery in Fort Lauderdale two months ago and charged with a hate crime, according to court records.

Maurice Charles, 36, of Pembroke Pines, was arrested on June 16 in a battery on a 72-year-old neighbor, according to Pembroke Pines police.

Charles is 6-foot-3, 270 pounds, and the victim is 5-foot-10, 175 pounds. The arrest report says Charles shoved the victim and spat in his general direction.

When police spotted Charles on the second floor of the apartment building he made an evasive maneuver and tried to run back into his apartment, police said. Charles had to be pulled out of the doorway and taken to the ground before he was placed under arrest.

In April, Charles was arrested and charged with felony battery, which was later upgraded to battery with great bodily harm/ hate crime, against James Garcia in Fort Lauderdale. Garcia said he was walking his dog about 8 a.m. when Charles asked him if he was gay. Garcia said before he could answer Charles punched him, unprovoked.

Garcia said his injuries required 10 stitches.

Charles, according to court records, has a history of arrests, including aggravated battery with a deadly weapon in Miami-Dade County in 2017, an aggravated battery in 2008, and two felony drug arrests in 2012.

Charles, who was on house arrest and wearing an ankle monitor at the time of his most recent arrest, is being held without bond at the Broward Main Jail.