Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A 39-year-old woman named Erica Nichol Williams was taken into custody earlier this morning. She faces charges for allegedly attacking another woman with a bat at the Hickory Hills Apartments located on the 3900 block of SW 17th Lane.

According to the victim, who spoke with an officer from the Gainesville Police Department, Williams appeared while she was in the process of moving out of an apartment at Hickory Hills. It is said that Williams is the godsister of a resident in the victim’s old apartment. The victim claimed that Williams blocked her path as she was trying to carry her possessions to her new place. Upon requesting Williams to step aside, the victim reportedly heard Williams threaten her, saying she had “something for your a**.”

The victim recounted that Williams retrieved a bat from her vehicle and attempted to strike her with it on at least three occasions, but did not succeed. Fearing for her safety, the victim backed away from Williams. The victim also reported that Williams placed the bat near her face, contacting her nose, and expressed that she was “tired of her [expletive]” before leaving the scene in her car.

A witness reportedly said Williams lived at “Village Green” and that she had argued with the victim, but he declined to say anything more.

Two other witnesses reportedly said they saw Williams yelling at the victim in the parking lot before taking a “long stick-like object” from her vehicle and swinging it multiple times at the victim. They said Williams drove away with a man in a black vehicle.

The officer went to Sweetwater Square Apartments (formerly known as Village Green) and located Williams.

Post Miranda, Williams reportedly said she and her boyfriend had been invited to the first witness’s apartment, and while the victim was moving, she intentionally bumped into her in the parking lot. Williams reportedly said the victim took a “crack pipe” from her purse and started walking toward her, so out of fear, she went to her vehicle to get her bat, walked back toward the victim, and intentionally swung her bat at the victim.

Williams has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and felony battery with previous battery convictions. She has four felony convictions (four violent) and five misdemeanor convictions (three violent); sworn complaints for battery and property damage were filed in 2024 but later dropped. Judge James Colaw set bail at $25,000.

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.