Man on probation charged with forcing entry into Holly Heights residence, punching resident

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Napoleon Filer III, 36, who is on probation from a May arrest, was arrested last night and charged with burglary with battery and battery on a person over 65 years of age.

Filer was arrested on a warrant associated with a September 17 incident in which the victims, who live in Holly Heights, told an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy that Filer had forced his way into their residence after an argument started about Filer’s clothing in their residence. The victims said Filer pushed one woman, who is 72 years old, and then ran toward and tackled a second woman, punching her about 9 times. The second victim said Filer tackled her and punched her again after she told him she was calling law enforcement. Filer then reportedly left the residence, and deputies were unable to locate him that day.

The deputy wrote that a witness who saw Filer pounding on the door of the apartment and heard the altercation corroborated the victims’ accounts, and their injuries were consistent with their accounts.

Filer was arrested in May 2022 after he was reportedly found staying in a room at a closed motel without permission. He also had two TVs, a waffle maker, an Otis Spunkmeyer cookie oven, and identification cards belonging to five different people. He entered a plea of nolo contendere to charges of burglary, possession of burglary tools, grand theft, and possession of identification of 5 or more people, all felonies, with adjudication of guilt withheld. He entered a plea of guilty to a charge of property damage over $200, a misdemeanor, and was adjudicated guilty. In exchange for the pleas, he received 90 days in jail with credit for 65 days served and 27 months of probation.

Filer is being held on $200,000 bail.

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.