Newberry man on pre-trial release arrested after allegedly stealing copper wire from house under construction, hitting owner with his car

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Steven Dean Webb, 59, of Newberry, was arrested yesterday after the owner of a house under construction reportedly found him stealing wire from a fuse panel and said Webb hit him with his car while driving away.

The victim told the responding Gainesville Police Department officer that at about 7:30 a.m. on November 9, he caught Webb inside the garage of his house in the 2800 block of SW 1st Avenue. The victim said Webb was using a long-handled cutting tool to cut copper wire from the fuse panel and he told Webb he was calling the police.

The victim said Webb got in his car, which was parked on the street in front of the house, and he was trying to take Webb’s picture through the windshield when Webb accelerated, hitting the victim’s leg with the front bumper of his car. The victim said he was able to jump out of the way to avoid being run over and was not injured. The victim said he was unable to provide the cost of repairing the wiring until his electrician could inspect the damage.

The victim also told the officer that he had video of Webb walking around the house on November 2 and that Webb was carrying the same long-handled tool. The victim said copper wire was also stolen on November 2.

The victim reportedly took clear pictures of Webb’s face and the tag on the car. Facial recognition software was used to identify Webb as the suspect, and the owner of the car reportedly shares an address and last name with Webb.

An Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy made contact with Webb at his home in Newberry, and before his Miranda rights were read, Webb reportedly said he had been looking at some copper tube pipes and when he went to leave, the victim jumped in front of his car and hit it; he reportedly pointed at the driver’s side of his car.

Webb has been charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and burglary of an occupied dwelling. He is on pre-trial release following an April arrest for driving without a valid license, and he has been issued two more notices to appear for subsequent violations of the same charge since then. He has one felony conviction (one violent) and two misdemeanor convictions (none violent); he has served one state prison sentence for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and was released in 2004. Judge Adam Lee ordered him held without bail pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s office to hold him without bail until trial.

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.