Staff Report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Authorities apprehended Braja Mandala Sanchez, aged 38, following an incident where he allegedly brandished what appeared to be a firearm inside a fast food establishment. The weapon was later identified as a toy gun, specifically an airsoft model with a distinct orange tip.
On the afternoon of June 5, around 4:49 p.m., officers from the Gainesville Police Department were dispatched to the Chick-fil-A located at 1340 W. University Avenue. An employee reported that Sanchez had entered the premises and settled at a table, surrounded by several open alcohol bottles. She initially approached him to request that he leave, but noticed a handgun’s handle protruding from his waistband, leading her to fear for her safety. Consequently, she refrained from confronting him directly and instead informed her manager.
The employee later observed Sanchez removing the gun from his waistband and waving it around before he eventually exited the restaurant.
Upon arrival, a Gainesville Police Department officer spotted Sanchez at a nearby bus stop. The officer attempted to communicate with him, but Sanchez reportedly ignored the instructions and began gathering his alcohol bottles.
As a second officer arrived on the scene, Sanchez was ordered to halt. Ignoring the directive, he gathered his belongings and headed back towards the Chick-fil-A. The second officer then intervened, tackling Sanchez, who allegedly resisted the officers’ attempts to handcuff him.
A search incident to arrest reportedly produced a “black plastic airsoft or similar toy gun” with an orange tip.
The officer reported that Sanchez seemed to be mentally unwell or under the influence of a substance at the time of his arrest, and he was sedated by EMS before being transported to a local hospital. As a result, he did not provide any statements.
Sanchez has been charged with resisting an officer without violence. He has two felony convictions (one violent) and seven misdemeanor convictions (one violent); he served a nine-month jail sentence in 2025 for battery on a victim over 65 years old. He was arrested in April 2026 for threatening a maintenance worker while holding a hatchet, but that charge was later dropped. Judge Julie Johnson set bail at $10,000 on the new charge.
Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law
