13 Moments of Crisis in George Zimmerman's Turbulent Life

George Zimmerman, 30, was arrested this week for assaulting his girlfriend.

ByABC News
November 19, 2013, 9:34 AM
George Zimmerman was arrested in Seminole County, Fla., on Nov. 18, 2013 following a "disturbance" call.
George Zimmerman was arrested in Seminole County, Fla., on Nov. 18, 2013 following a "disturbance" call.
Seminole County Sheriff

Nov. 19, 2013 — -- intro:George Zimmerman, 30, is back in the headlines today after he was arrested on Monday and charged with aggravated assault for an incident with his girlfriend.

This week's altercation is the latest of multiple run-ins with the law that Zimmerman has had over the past few years. A look back at some of the most turbulent moments:

quicklist: 1title: Trayvon Martin Shot text: February 26, 2012

Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old Florida high school student, is found shot and killed in Sanford, Fla., a community north of Orlando.

Several eyewitnesses report to police that they heard a scuffle, then a cry for help, and then a gunshot.

According to the Sanford police report, George Zimmerman, 28, a self-appointed neighborhood watch captain, is found armed with a handgun, standing over Martin. Zimmerman has a bloody nose and a scrape in the back of his head.

Martin is unresponsive and pronounced dead at the scene. He has no weapons on him, only a pack of Skittles and a bottle of iced tea, his cell phone and an ear piece.

Zimmerman tells police he killed Martin in self defense.

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quicklist: 2title: George Zimmerman Taken into Custody and Chargedtext: April 11, 2012

After more than a month of petitions and protests demanding George Zimmerman's arrest, Florida special prosecutor Angela Corey announces Zimmerman will be charged with second degree murder in the shooting death of unarmed teen Trayvon Martin and that "Mr. Zimmerman has turned himself in."

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quicklist: 3title: George Zimmerman Apologizes to Martin Familytext: April 20, 2012

George Zimmerman stunned a Florida court by taking the stand and apologizing to the parents of Trayvon Martin, who were sitting in the courtroom during Zimmerman's bond hearing.

"I am sorry for the loss of your son. I did not know how old he was. I thought he was a little bit younger than I am. I did not know if he was armed or not," Zimmerman said addressing Martin's family.

Martin's father, Tracy Martin, cried tears of anger after the apology, his attorney Ben Crump told reporters after the hearing.

The bond hearing concluded with Judge Kenneth Lester agreeing to allow Zimmerman, who was charged with second degree murder, to post a $150,000 bond to get out of jail. The prosecution had argued that Zimmerman should be denied bail or that it should be set at $1 million.

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quicklist: 4title: George Zimmerman Released text: April 23, 2012

Zimmerman posted bail on a $150,000 bond on the second degree murder charge and goes free.

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quicklist: 5title: Photos of George Zimmerman Injuries Releasedtext: May 17, 2013

Prosecutors release evidence in the Trayvon Martin case, including never-before-seen photos, audio recordings and witness testimony.

Included in the evidence are two police reports written the night that George Zimmerman shot Trayvon Martin, that say Zimmerman had a bloody face and nose. The police report states that Martin's father told an investigator after listening to 911 tapes that captured a man's voice frantically calling for help that it was not his son calling for help.

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quicklist: 6title: George Zimmerman Trialtext: June 24, 2013 - July 13, 2013

After a six-person, all-female jury was selected, the trial began with opening statements on June 24.

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quicklist: 7title: George Zimmerman Acquittedtext: July 13, 2013

The jury in the George Zimmerman murder trial found Zimmerman not guilty in the death of Trayvon Martin.

Zimmerman, who faced the possibility of life in prison, showed no reaction to the jury's verdict. The six women in the jury delivered their verdict at 10 p.m. after more than 16 hours of deliberations over two days.

Zimmerman's parents were present in the courtroom, and his family members hugged. Some were in tears. Martin's parents were not in the courtroom, and the Martin family lawyer Ben Crump quickly left.

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quicklist: 8title: George Zimmerman Emerged From Hiding for Truck Crash Rescuetext: July 18, 2013

George Zimmerman, who had been in hiding since he was acquitted of murder in the death of Trayvon Martin, emerged to help rescue a family who was trapped in an overturned vehicle, police said.

Zimmerman was one of two men who came to the aid of Dana and Mark Gerstle and their two children, who were trapped inside a blue Ford Explorer SUV that had rolled over after traveling off the highway in Sanford, Fla., at approximately 5:45 p.m. Thursday, the Seminole County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.

By the time police arrived, two people - including Zimmerman - had already helped the family get out of the overturned car, the sheriff's office said. No one was reported to be injured.

Zimmerman was not a witness to the crash and left after speaking with the deputy, police said.

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quicklist: 9title: George Zimmerman Stopped for Speedingtext: July 2013

In July, Zimmerman was stopped for speeding in a 60 mph zone in Foley, Texas, and was let go with a warning.

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quicklist: 10title: George Zimmerman Driving Troublestext: September 2013

In September, he was ticketed for speeding in a 45 mph zone in Lake Mary, Fla., and later stopped by a Florida Highway Patrol trooper and issued a warning because his car's tag cover and windows were too darkly tinted.

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quicklist: 11title: Shellie Zimmerman Files for Divorcetext: September 5, 2013

George Zimmerman's wife Shellie filed for divorce less than two months after he was acquitted of murder.

She filed the paperwork just days after she said in an interview aired exclusively on ABC News that the ordeal of the trial had put a strain on their marriage.

The petition said the couple, married in 2007, "separated on Aug. 13, 2013 and are not presently cohabiting as husband and wife. The marriage between the parties is irretrievably broken." They have no children.

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quicklist: 12title: George Zimmerman's Altercation With Wifetext: September, 9, 2013

George Zimmerman was taken into custody and later released without charges after his wife called 911 to say Zimmerman punched his father-in-law in the nose and threatened to shoot him and his wife.

Zimmerman claimed that he was acting in a "defensive manner" during the incident, according to police, who later added that they never found a gun on Zimmerman.

Nevertheless, Zimmerman was handcuffed and questioned by police in Lake Mary, Fla., according to Lake Mary Police Chief Steve Bracknell.

He was later released without charges when his wife and father-in-law refused to press charges or give police a sworn statement.

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quicklist: 13title: George Zimmerman Arrested for Assaulting Girlfriendtext: November 18, 2013

George Zimmerman, 30, arrested after a "domestic disturbance" with his girlfriend. He faces a felony charge of aggravated assault and the lesser charges of battery domestic violence and criminal mischief.

Zimmerman's girlfriend, who the Seminole County Sheriff's Office identified as Samantha Scheibe, told a 911 dispatcher that the incident began when the former neighborhood watch captain grew upset during an argument and brandished a weapon at her.

Scheibe said Zimmerman then pushed her out the home that they have shared ever since Zimmerman became estranged with his wife and locked her out. Authorities said when they arrived Scheibe gave them keys to the home, and that they had to push through obstacles by the door to get in.

Zimmerman told police in a separate 911 call that she instigated the incident.

"My girlfriend has ... for lack of a better word, gone crazy on me," said Zimmerman while police knocked on the door trying to speak with him.

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