Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Eldiberto Rivera, 34, was arrested on Monday after allegedly taking $1,400 from a woman who had purchased a car for him but said he had stopped paying her.

An Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy responded to a robbery call at the Wawa at 4322 SW Archer Road at about 9 a.m. Monday morning. The victim reportedly said she had met Rivera at work and that he needed a car, but since he does not have a valid U.S. driver’s license and is not a U.S. citizen, he did not have the required paperwork to buy a car. She said that she agreed to buy a car for him out of goodwill and made a $1,500 down payment on a 2017 Toyota Corolla that had a total price of $20,920. The victim said Rivera has paid her $3,000 so far.

The victim said that Rivera is no longer able to make payments on the car, so he agreed to meet her at the Wawa and accept $1,400 in exchange for the car. However, after she gave him the money, he allegedly said it wasn’t fair that she was taking the car and became physically aggressive. She said he grabbed the keys from her hand, which cut her hand, then left with the car and the money.

The car was located at a gas station on Newberry Road, and Rivera was reportedly in the driver’s seat. Post Miranda, he declined to speak with deputies.

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The report notes that surveillance video at the Wawa shows Rivera arriving in the car before getting out of the car and getting in the victim’s car. After several minutes, he gets out of her car, gets back in the Corolla, and drives away.

Rivera was charged with grand theft for taking the victim’s money without leaving her the car and with simple battery for grabbing the keys from her hand.

Rivera has a federal criminal history but no local criminal history. Judge Mark Mosely ordered him released on his own recognizance, but he remains in the Alachua County Jail on an ICE detainer.

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.