Gainesville woman arrested for burglary with battery after “baby daddy” dispute

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Erica Nichol Williams, 40, was arrested Saturday night for allegedly pushing her way into an apartment and punching a woman over a “baby daddy” dispute.

At about 9:20 p.m. on June 13, a Gainesville Police Department officer responded to Carver Gardens Apartments (1101 SE 15th Street), where the victim said Williams started banging on her door because she was upset that her “baby daddy” had held a door open for the victim at a store earlier in the day.

The victim said she opened the door enough to talk to Williams, and Williams screamed at her and pushed into her apartment, then grabbed her by the hair and started punching and scratching her in the face.

A witness reportedly said she heard Williams banging on the door, and when she walked over, she saw Williams pushing on the victim’s door and swinging at her.

Post Miranda, Williams reportedly said she had argued with the victim because the victim was saying derogatory things about a guest at her residence, so she went to talk to the victim to “squash” their problems. She said the victim started cussing her out and “threw up her set” before stepping outside and swinging at her. Williams reportedly admitted to entering the victim’s apartment during the physical fight.

Williams also reportedly said that the victim had entered her apartment during the fight, but the victim denied ever entering Williams’s apartment.

The officer reported that the victim had a scratch on her face, and Williams did not have any visible injuries.

Williams has been charged with burglary with battery and burglary of an occupied dwelling. She has four felony convictions (four violent) and five misdemeanor convictions (three violent); she was arrested in May 2025 for allegedly attacking another woman with a bat, but the charges were later dropped. Judge David Kreider ordered her held without bail pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s Office to hold her 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.