Domestic violence alleged in early-morning arrest

When the wife of a local attorney and real estate broker, Jonathan Bamberg, returned to their St Augustine Beach home at about 1:00 a.m. this morning, she says she tried to go downstairs to sleep on the couch when her husband attacked her and locked her in the bedroom; according to an arrest report received by Historic City News.

During his first appearance hearing this morning, bond was set at $4500 on two criminal charges filed; $1000 bond on first-degree misdemeanor battery and $3500 bond on third-degree felony kidnapping and false imprisonment.

According to the report filed by Deputy Sheriff Thomas Bickhart, Bamberg’s two teenaged children, an 18 year-old son and a 13 year-old daughter, were asleep in the house when the incident occurred.

Bamberg’s daughter told authorities that she was awakened by the sound of her mother screaming upstairs in their home. According to the report, she said it sounded like her mother was being beaten. The victim yelled for her to go get her brother and to get the door opened; however, their daughter said she was unable to open the door because it was locked.

Bamberg’s son told Deputy Bickhart that he was awakened by his sister; who informed him that his mother needed help. When he arrived upstairs, he witnessed his mother screaming his name — asking to be let out of the bedroom.

Deputy Bickhart reported that it was not until Bamberg’s son began banging on the door that his father opened it. Bickhart wrote that although he could not see any visible marks at the scene, based on the statements of the victim and both witnesses, he placed Bamberg under arrest and reported the incident to the Department of Children and Families.

The 58 year-old Bamberg is well known in the community; he and his family are responsible for a number of condominium and other real estate developments along Crescent Beach and the St Johns County coast that have been constructed over more than 30 years.

According to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Bamberg’s license as a real estate broker is in good standing and has no record of public complaints. He was admitted to the Florida Bar on April 1, 1981 and they report, “There is no record of any disciplinary action for this attorney”.