Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Christopher Sergio Elvis Rivera, 33, was arrested early this morning after allegedly entering a fenced area at a car dealership, entering multiple parked vehicles, fleeing from an officer, and attempting to escape after he was handcuffed.

A Gainesville Police Department officer responded to the Buick GMC dealership on N. Main Street at about 12:20 a.m. this morning after a security company reported that a man had been seen climbing the fence and entering multiple vehicles in the northeast dirt lot of the property. The responding officer noted that he saw a man entering a van in the lot and then saw the man inside the van as he approached on foot. The man ducked down to hide, then the officer made verbal announcements, at which point the man got out of the van and fled on foot; he was reportedly apprehended after a short foot chase and was identified as Rivera. After he was handcuffed, Rivera allegedly escaped the handcuffs and ran again; he was again caught after a brief foot chase.

Post Miranda, Rivera reportedly said he jumped over the fence despite the presence of barbed wire along the fence; he said he entered the van once he was inside the fence because he was hoping to find something valuable. He said he fled from the officer because he was nervous; he reportedly said he did not know why he ran the second time, but he knew he was under arrest at the time.

Rivera, whose address is listed as GRACE Marketplace, was arrested in October 2023 on three cases: a June burglary and theft at MAACO, followed by attempts to sell the items on Facebook Marketplace; a July burglary and theft at Dale’s Tire, with an attempt to pawn the stolen items; and a July burglary and theft at Automotive Super Sports, followed by use of a stolen credit card at Home Depot to purchase a generator and canopy tent. In November 2023, Rivera entered a plea of nolo contendere to eight felonies and a misdemeanor in exchange for entering the Drug Court program and paying restitution to the victims; the agreement states that adjudication of guilt will be withheld if he successfully completes the program, and he will get 24 months in state prison if he fails to complete the program.

When Rivera was released from jail, he was reportedly admitted to a residential drug treatment program but walked away from the facility the same day. He has not reported to Court Services since that date, and a warrant for his arrest was issued in December.

Judge Susan Miller-Jones ordered Rivera held without bail on the three burglary/theft cases and set bail at $70,000 on the new charges; he will be held without bail until the previous charges are resolved.

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.