Staff Report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In the early hours today, Joseph Harold Wiggs, 23, found himself under arrest, accused of seizing a man’s phone, vandalizing his car, assaulting him, and obstructing his attempt to contact emergency services.
According to a report by the Gainesville Police Department, the incident unfolded around 12:03 a.m. on December 8 at Fred Cone Park. Wiggs and the victim had arranged to meet for a discussion inside the victim’s vehicle. Allegedly, Wiggs grabbed the victim’s phone and exited the car to delete its contents. The victim attempted to dial 911 from his Tesla, but Wiggs allegedly intercepted and terminated all the outgoing calls.
As the victim moved a short distance away, Wiggs purportedly returned to the Tesla, unleashing a barrage of kicks that damaged the rearview mirror and interior panels. He allegedly instructed the victim to re-enter the car, and when the victim reached for his phone, Wiggs reportedly struck him with a closed fist before tossing the phone back into the vehicle and fleeing on foot.
Authorities located Wiggs at his residence, where he initially denied any connection to the victim, claiming he had been home throughout the night. He later altered his account, admitting to the meeting, which he described as an argument without physical confrontation, and stated he had walked home afterward.
Following his Miranda rights, Wiggs reportedly asserted that the victim had struck him during their altercation, prompting him to leave. He denied taking the victim’s phone, disconnecting the 911 calls, or causing any damage to the car. However, when informed that Teslas record surveillance footage, he conceded to picking up the phone but maintained he had retrieved it from the center console. Despite his admission, he continued to deny ending the 911 calls, damaging the car, or hitting the victim.
The officer reported that neither man had any obvious injuries. The victim estimated that the damage to his car was about $1,000.
Wiggs, a Violent Felony Offender of Special Concern who is on probation for threatening to shoot a woman and kicking a police officer, has been charged with preventing communication with 911 services, burglary of an unoccupied vehicle, robbery by sudden snatching, and battery. He has three felony convictions (three violent) and two misdemeanor convictions (one violent). Judge Susan Miller-Jones set bail at $180,000.
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.
