Homeless woman becomes combative during arrest

Police were called to the Best Western hotel located at 2010 North Ponce de Leon Boulevard in St Augustine on New Year’s Day, January 1, 2018 at about 2:57 p.m., after a homeless woman refused to leave the hotel lobby and became increasingly uncooperative.

The hotel manager advised Officer Jonathan Correa that the woman, later identified as 27-year-old April Mae Georg, had been sitting in the lobby of the hotel since 11:00 a.m. that day. The manager stated that she, as well as multiple staff members at the hotel, requested that Georg leave the premises, as she was not a paying guest.

Georg is known to local law enforcement. She was arrested by the St Johns County Sheriff’s Office and spent 68-days in county jail for trespassing. She was released February 7, 2017, then re-arrested on March 22, 2017 for trespassing and resisting arrest of a St Augustine police officer. After spending 37 more days in county jail, she was released on April 28, 2017. She was arrested, once again on June 24, 2017 and spent 39-days in county jail for resisting a St Augustine police officer without violence. She was released August 2, 2017, and free until her latest arrest, yesterday.

Officer Correa told Georg that she needed to “leave now”, according to the police incident report. Georg responded saying, “This is a public hotel, no one has the right to make me leave.”

Sergeant Marston informed Georg that she needed to leave otherwise she would be arrested for trespassing. Georg stated again that she was not going to leave and that she would be pressing charges against whoever called the police about her, the report says.

Witnesses stated that Officer Shipp and Sergeant Marston attempted to secure Georg at about 3:11 p.m. and Georg became actively resistant. She attempted to pull both hands away from the officers, so Officer Correa stepped in to assist.

“As she grew more resistant, she began to attempt to free herself from our custody,” Correa wrote.

At that moment, Georg headbutted Officer Correa directly in the face with the back of her head. Officer Correa stepped away, momentarily, then continued the efforts to secure Georg. Once the defendant was securely returned to custody, she was taken to Officer Correa’s marked patrol car. To avoid Georg becoming combative again enroute to the car, the report stated that Sergeant Marston covered her head with both hands.

In surveillance video obtained from the hotel today, you can hear Georg refusing to leave, and that’s when Officer Correa and Sergeant Marston arrived. You can hear all three officers request that Georg leave the premises, multiple times.

When Georg continues to refuse, Sergeant Marston attempted to detain her by grasping her right arm. Georg refused to comply and that’s when Officer Correa and Officer Shipp assisted. You can hear a loud thump and see Officer Correa jump back after he was headbutted in the face.

Injuries to Officer Correa’s nose were documented and he was able to return to work.

Georg remains in custody today in lieu of $2,500 total bond on charges of trespassing, resisting arrest with violence, and battery on a law enforcement officer.