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Monday, May 4, 2026
Christian David Vargas, 22, did not show up Monday for his scheduled arraignment in Alachua County’s Eighth Judicial Circuit Court. He faces a second-degree felony charge of lewd or lascivious battery involving a victim between the ages of 12 and 16.
Sources: WUFT News
An 18-year-old Gainesville man identified by prosecutors as a gang member was sentenced to two years in federal prison after being found with a pistol whose serial number had been removed. Devon Oliver was apprehended at a Gainesville apartment complex while trying to flee law enforcement; the weapon was loaded with an extended magazine carrying 22 rounds. Federal prosecutors tied the case to gang violence, and Gainesville Police described the firearm as a direct threat to residents and officers.
Sources: Mainstreet Daily News · WCJB TV20
Alachua County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a 17-year-old Saturday night after he allegedly opened fire on a group of people near Southwest Archer Road and 129th Street. The confrontation began at a nearby Chevron station, escalated when the suspects followed the victims into a residential area, and ended with the teenager discharging a weapon from a vehicle — though no one was struck. He faces charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and discharging a firearm from a vehicle within 1,000 feet of another person, while charges against a second occupant of the vehicle remain pending.
Sources: WCJB TV20
Newly activated speed cameras in Alachua County school zones recorded 2,400 violations in their first week since the School Zone Speed Enforcement Program launched. Drivers caught by the cameras were averaging 37 mph through school zones, and officials say offenders could face hundreds of dollars in fines. The program is currently in a warning-only phase, with actual citations set to begin on May 24.
Sources: WCJB TV20
A man was fatally shot Friday night in Gainesville’s Phoenix neighborhood after officers responded to reports of gunfire at a residence around 10 p.m. Someone transported the wounded man to a nearby hospital, where he later died. Police are appealing to the public for any information that could help identify the shooter.
Sources: Mainstreet Daily News · WCJB TV20
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