Gainesville man arrested for raping one woman, threatening to post nude photos of a second woman

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Javier Yadiel Copra Santiago, 22, was arrested yesterday and charged with forcible sexual battery and extortion, with two different victims.

First incident

A Gainesville Police Department officer reported that on September 15, Copra Santiago went to the first victim’s apartment to pick her up for work; the officer reported that the victim said she and Copra Santiago were “friends” who have had sexual relations in the past.

The first victim said Copra Santiago wanted to spend time with her before taking her to work, but she did not want to, and they argued. She said Copra Santiago placed her in a chokehold, and she lost consciousness. When she regained consciousness, Copra Santiago tied her wrists with two black zip ties and threatened to harm her with pliers. She said she was afraid Copra Santiago would torture or kill her with the pliers.

Copra Santiago allegedly removed the zip ties, ordered her to perform oral sex, told her to stand up, and took pictures of her; he then ordered her to get on the bed and raped her. When he was done, he drove her to work, where she went into a secluded area and called the police.

The victim said none of the sexual acts were consensual and that Copra Santiago had referred to himself as a “rapist” after the sexual battery. She said he told her he did not think he would be able to see her again because he raped her.

Officers reportedly found two cleanly-cut black zip ties in the victim’s bedroom, as well as a used condom.

After the incident, Copra Santiago reportedly sent texts to the victim, asking to talk to her, but she did not respond until officers were present to monitor the exchange; an officer reported that when the victim said she did not want to speak to him in person because he had raped her, he reportedly said, “I have no clue what you’re talking about I gave you a ride to work that’s it” and “[that] is a big accusation.” He repeatedly asked to speak to her “face to face.”

Post Miranda, Copra Santiago reportedly said the victim had accused him of rape, but he had never engaged in any sexual contact with the victim except that he once kissed her, with his wife present. He denied ever being in her apartment except when he helped her move in, about a year ago, and he said he had not seen her at all during the month of September 2026 and had not given her a ride to work. He said he did not know why she would accuse him of rape, and then he declined to answer any further questions.

Second incident

An Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy reported that on September 23, the second victim reported that she had received texts from a phone number she didn’t know, threatening to post nude images of her on Facebook and send them to her family. She said she believed the pictures were on her own phone.

The texts asked to make a deal: if she would send additional pictures, “I disappear like poof [dust cloud emoji],” “No exposing no embarrassment when u try to go to the police for a fake number,” and “Aight it’s all up online by tomorrow they’ll be on Facebook too and instagram and Snapchat [shrug emoji].”

The victim said she suspected Copra Santiago because he lives near her and had once borrowed her phone; she said he went back to his apartment while he was on the call and was gone for at least 40 minutes.

A deputy arrested Copra Santiago at his apartment on September 30. Post Miranda, he reportedly made statements about the second victim, including talking about her family and her dog; he said nobody normally uses his cell phone and that his “wife” can’t remember his passcode. He reportedly confirmed that he had borrowed the second victim’s phone for a job interview call about two months ago, and he initially said he had stayed close to the second victim while he was on the call, but he later admitted that he went back to his apartment during the call and was gone for about 20 minutes. He denied ever texting the second victim, and when he was confronted with screenshots of the texts, he said they must have been falsified. He said that photographs of the second victim would not be found in his phone; his phone was seized when he was arrested, but the arrest report does not state whether it was examined before his arrest.

Charges and bail

Copra Santiago has been charged with forcible rape and extortion. According to the GPD report, he was born in Puerto Rico and is a U.S. citizen. He has no criminal history. Judge Meshon Rawls ordered him held without bail pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s Office to hold him without bail until trial; if the judge denies the motion, bail will be set at that hearing.

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.