Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Carl Milton Babb, 65, was arrested yesterday after police said he threatened another panhandler with a butcher knife during an argument over panhandling space.
Around 1:55 p.m. on June 27, Gainesville Police Department officers were called to the intersection of NE Waldo Road and NE 39th Avenue, where they reported seeing the alleged victim urgently pointing toward Babb, who was roughly 300 feet away.
The victim reportedly told officers he had been “minding his business” at the corner when Babb approached and began arguing with him about panhandling territory. He said Babb displayed a large knife, threatened to kill him, and caused him to fear for his life.
According to the victim, he backed away and tried to flag down passing drivers to call police because he did not have a phone. He said Babb then ran into a wooded area and returned without the knife.
Two independent witnesses told officers they were in the turn lane at the intersection when they heard the men arguing and saw Babb reach into a pile of his belongings before pulling out what appeared to be a large butcher knife. They said they recognized it as a knife because it caught the sunlight, and they also reported seeing Babb run into the woods after making the threat and come back without it.
After being read his Miranda rights, Babb reportedly acknowledged arguing with the victim but denied having a knife or threatening the victim with one.
Officers searched the nearby wooded area but did not locate the knife.
Babb, whose address is listed as GRACE Marketplace, has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He is a designated violent felony offender of special concern who has 24 felony convictions (four violent) and 12 misdemeanor convictions (two violent); he has served nine state prison sentences and was most recently released in May 2025. He was released from the Alachua County Jail on March 31, 2026, after serving 120 days for violating probation. Judge Joy Danne set bail at $50,000.
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.
