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GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In the early hours of today, a 23-year-old named Carlos Sebastian Rios-Jimenez found himself in handcuffs following a dramatic incident near the University of Florida campus. The young man was arrested for allegedly brandishing a firearm at two bouncers involved in a scuffle with a bar patron.
The confrontation unfolded at approximately 3:22 a.m. on May 2, when an officer from the Gainesville Police Department was dispatched to the scene on the 1700 block of West University Avenue. According to the bouncers, they were attempting to manage a situation outside the bar after a patron had sparked an altercation, resulting in one of them being struck in the face.
As tensions escalated, Rios-Jimenez reportedly arrived on the scene, parking his vehicle nearby. In an unexpected turn, he allegedly sought to insert himself into the fray by drawing a gun and waving it threateningly, causing the bouncers to fear for their safety.
After this alarming intervention, Rios-Jimenez is said to have returned to his car and departed the area, but his actions led to his subsequent arrest.
Rios-Jimenez reportedly got back into his car and left.
A witness reportedly confirmed that Rios-Jimenez “came out of nowhere” and attempted to stop the fight; he said that when Rios-Jimenez was unsuccessful in stopping the fight with his words, he lifted his shirt and exposed his gun. The witness said Rios-Jimenez said “1 v. 3” was not fair as he exposed the firearm, but the witness did not remember whether Rios-Jimenez drew the firearm.
Post Miranda, Rios-Jimenez reportedly said he saw the fight and wanted to help because it “wasn’t right.” He said he tried to separate the parties, but when his attempts were unsuccessful, he pulled out his gun and told the victims to stop. He said he left after the parties separated.
Rios-Jimenez, who is a Peruvian citizen according to the arrest report, has no local criminal convictions, but he has a court hearing on May 4 for a Notice to Appear for reckless driving with property damage or personal injury and refusing to sign a citation. Judge Mitchell Bishop ordered him held without bail pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s Office to hold him without bail until trial; if the judge denies the motion, bail will be set at that hearing.
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.