Lake Butler man, who allegedly followed an Alachua woman home and tried to enter her house, arrested in Gainesville after allegedly hitting skateboard rider
Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Ernesto Angel Morales-Alejo, 20, was arrested yesterday in Gainesville after allegedly hitting a man riding a skateboard and failing to stop; he was also charged with following an Alachua woman home in January and trying to enter her home.
At about 6:45 p.m. on January 17, an Alachua Police Department officer responded to the 14400 block of NW 148th Terrace after the victim reported that a man had tried to enter her home several times.
The victim said she had been home for just over an hour when she remotely started her car and carried her infant out to put the baby in the car; she said a blue Ford Mustang pulled into her driveway as she approached her car, and she held up her hand and said “No!” When the Mustang did not move, she ran back into her home with the baby.
The officer viewed the video from her doorbell camera and reported that she could be seen frantically trying to unlock her front door while holding the infant in a car seat. She reportedly looked back at the man in the Mustang several times while trying to get into her house. Once inside, she reportedly locked the door and hid in a bathroom with her baby. The officer noted that the woman was in such a rush that she didn’t turn off her vehicle.
The officer reported that the doorbell camera showed Morales-Alejo approaching the front door and trying to open it; he was unsuccessful, but the officer noted that he did not knock, ring the doorbell, announce himself, or do anything to dispel the victim’s fears. He then walked away from the door.
About a minute later, the officer reported, Morales-Alejo went back to the front door and turned the doorknob several times.
The officer went to Morales-Alejo’s home in Lake Butler, where Morales-Alejo agreed to speak with the officer. Morales-Alejo reportedly said he had first noticed the victim while she was driving to her home in Alachua. He followed her to her home in his car and then waited for over an hour for her to come out of her house. He reportedly claimed that he was only outside her house for five minutes, but the officer noted that there was video evidence that the victim had been inside her house over an hour.
Morales-Alejo reportedly said he knocked on the window, and when nobody answered, he left. The officer noted that this was contradicted by the video evidence.
The officer asked Morales-Alejo what he would have done if he’d been able to get inside the house, and he reportedly said he would “just be friends” with the victim. He said he didn’t plan to hurt the victim or her baby and that he just wanted to talk to her.
After the officer explained to Morales-Alejo that the victim was married and did not want to have any contact with him, Morales-Alejo reportedly asked whether he could continue to “watch” the victim.
The officer did not explain in the report why Morales-Alejo was not taken into custody following the interview; instead, a sworn complaint was filed, and a warrant for his arrest was issued on February 12.
On February 21, a Gainesville Police Department officer responded to a call about a blue Ford Mustang that hit a man riding a skateboard in the 2000 block of SW 38th Terrace. The Mustang did not stop, but a witness driving behind the Mustang called 911 and followed the Mustang until it turned into an apartment complex just east of the crash.
A second witness also followed the Mustang and reportedly confronted Morales-Alejo, telling him to go back to the crash.
While law enforcement was providing medical aid to the victim, the victim saw a car that looked like the Mustang that hit him, and an officer conducted a traffic stop on the Mustang. When he made contact with Morales-Alejo, Morales-Alejo reportedly said without prompting that the victim had run a red light and that he had done nothing wrong because he had the right-of-way.
Morales-Alejo also had a second warrant for failing to appear at a hearing for driving without a valid license.
Morales-Alejo has been charged with driving without a valid license, failing to stop after a crash involving non-serious personal injury, attempted burglary, and stalking. He has been in the area for about five years, and he has no criminal history other than a federal history in 2019. Judge Thomas Jaworski set bail at $87,000, with a requirement that he be fitted with a GPS monitor upon release.
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.
Another Arreola Supporter that dose not Belong in the USA .
Maybe he will be changing addresses in Lake Butler which will take away the opportunity to be tempted by women with children.
Live within your 2nd A rights. He has no history except Federal criminal history. He very well may be an illegal border trespasser since he has no drivers license and seemingly has no clue tp American driving rules. He obviously doesn’t care that the woman is married so he will be back.
WTF is wrong with our stupid CIRCUIT COURT justice system? Our auto insurance rates are rising due to Bidenomics and his Open Border unlicensed drivers!!
It’s time to reform the courts by selling them, the fancy buildings, and putting the lawyers and judges in trailer office parks without AC. Then they won’t want to let these freaks on the loose so often.
🤡👹💩🍦🍦🍦🍦D
This criminal has all the signs of being an illegal alien. I hope that he is deported before he molests or murders someone…..He ‘wanted to be friends’ with this young woman? Teach your loved ones to shoot. Dementia Joe’s shotgun would have come in handy.
One puzzling thing. According to documents, this is a 20 year old unemployed homeless dude from Mexico with no drivers license.
So how can he afford to own a car and buy gas?????
Drugs and/or human trafficking. Maybe, just maybe, good ol’ fashioned UNTAXED hard work, but I doubt it. In any case, all illegal.
Get them ring cameras y’all
OMG…this guy sounds super scary. What will it take to lock him up?
WTAH! This is home invasion. There is no such charge as attempted home invasion. The bad guy followed and knew the house was occupied. It’s OK to add stalking as an additional charge. Only $87K, really TJ? This guy had very bad intentions if he had gotten into this house. I would like to know what the federal charges were.