Gainesville man arrested for chasing grandson while holding a knife

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Napoleon Arenasa, 81, was arrested yesterday for allegedly chasing his adult grandson while holding a knife and threatening to cut him open.

At about 7:09 p.m. on June 21, Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a call about someone chasing the caller with a knife; while en route, deputies learned that the suspect was wearing an orange shirt.

When the first deputy arrived, he saw Arenasa in the front yard, holding a knife, and took him into custody.

The victim said Arenasa had been yelling at him to clean up a mess when he picked up a knife and pointed it at him.

A witness reportedly heard Arenasa say he was going to cut the victim’s “belly” open. Both the victim and the witness reportedly took video of Arenasa chasing the victim down the road, with a knife in his hand.

Arenasa reportedly said in broken English that he told the victim to clean up a mess, and then he grabbed a knife and continued yelling at the victim.

Arenasa has been charged with domestic aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He has no criminal history, and Judge Meshon Rawls set bail at $15,000 and required him to maintain an alternate residence.

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.