Gainesville man arrested on domestic violence warrant with assistance of K-9

STAFF REPORT

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Joel Matthew Biggs, 49, was arrested yesterday on multiple charges related to a domestic violence incident in which he threatened to cut off the victim’s leg with a circular saw.

At about 7 p.m. last night, Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputies conducted a follow-up investigation at the home of Biggs, who is a violent career offender and was last arrested at the same address on March 30, then bonded out on April 7. The domestic battery incidents allegedly occurred between April 8 and April 11.

Numerous deputies and an ASO K-9 team surrounded Biggs’ residence yesterday evening and called for him to come out over a public address system. Biggs reportedly refused to exit, and deputies eventually forced entry into the residence, at which time more announcements were made. A K-9 reportedly found Biggs in the master bedroom, and he was arrested without incident.

Post Miranda, Biggs reportedly said he could hear the announcements but refused to come out because he was scared. He denied the allegations in the arrest warrant.

The warrant was issued after Biggs reportedly called in a welfare check on his live-in girlfriend, saying he’d had an argument with her earlier in the day and could not reach her by phone. When deputies arrived at the residence, they found the victim distraught and learned that Biggs had been physically abusive for the past three days, including threatening to kill the victim and her dog with a knife and threatening to cut her leg off with a circular saw. Biggs could not be located at the time, so a sworn complaint was filed and a warrant was obtained.

Biggs has been charged with domestic battery, domestic battery by strangulation, two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and two counts of obstructing justice by intimidating a witness. He was also charged with resisting arrest.

Biggs was also on pre-trial release following the March 30 arrest for failing to report an address change as a career offender. Biggs has 19 felony convictions and seven misdemeanor convictions and has served five state prison sentences, with his most recent release in 2020. Judge James Colaw recommended bail of $425,000 on the warrant for the domestic violence charges, and Judge Walter Green confirmed the bail, adding $10,000 for resisting arrest.

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.