Alachua man arrested for stabbing man with screwdriver

Staff report

Updated on September 15 with bail information.

ALACHUA, Fla. – Angel Gabriel Rivera, 56, was arrested yesterday for allegedly stabbing a man with a screwdriver following a dispute over supplying power to a shed.

At about 6:17 p.m. on September 7, Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a home on NW 84th Place, off of State Road 27/41, and found the victim with a puncture wound to the stomach.

A witness reportedly said the victim had been mowing the grass when he got into an argument with Rivera; she said she heard yelling, and then she saw Rivera gesture in a stabbing motion, causing the victim to fall to the ground. She said that after the victim fell, Rivera continued yelling at the victim and said, “They were telling me to kill you.” She said she ran outside to help the victim, and Rivera yelled at her before running away and throwing the screwdriver.

The victim reportedly told a deputy that Rivera had stabbed him in the stomach with a screwdriver; he said Rivera tried to stab him a second time while he was on the ground, but he kicked Rivera away, and then the witness came outside.

Rivera reportedly stated spontaneously that he had gotten into an argument with the victim over the power being shut off to his shed on the property, and he said he had to protect himself. Post Miranda, Rivera reportedly did not want to answer questions.

Rivera has been charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and tampering with evidence. He has no criminal convictions. He was arrested in July 2026 after allegedly kicking two police officers who were trying to remove him from a convenience store in High Springs after the store requested their assistance, but that case can no longer be found in the court system. Judge Susan Miller-Jones ordered him held without bail pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s Office to hold him without bail until trial. On September 15, Judge James Colaw denied the motion and set bail at $175,000, with a requirement for a GPS monitor if Rivera is released.

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.