Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A woman named Leah Melisa Gibson, aged 49, was taken into custody yesterday for purportedly chasing a neighbor into her home and striking her with a vacuum cleaner.
According to a Gainesville Police Department officer, at approximately 7:35 p.m. on May 17, Gibson became involved in a dispute at Bivens Cove Apartments (3301 SW 13th Street), which escalated into a physical altercation with a neighbor.
Following the scuffle, it is reported that Gibson departed temporarily for about five minutes before returning to reignite the argument with the same neighbor. Allegedly, Gibson then pursued the neighbor into her apartment, where she assaulted the neighbor from behind with the vacuum cleaner as the neighbor attempted to retreat further into the residence.
The officer reported that doorbell camera video showed Gibson running away from the victim’s apartment, holding a broken vacuum cleaner.
Post Miranda, Gibson reportedly said she never entered the victim’s apartment but threw the vacuum at the victim from the doorway of her own apartment. She later reportedly said she was halfway between the two apartments when she threw the vacuum cleaner at the victim.
The officer reported that pieces of the vacuum were located well into the apartment, “where they could not have landed after being thrown from outside the apartment.”
The officer reported that the victim appeared to be uninjured.
Gibson has been charged with burglary with battery. She has no local criminal history, and Judge James Colaw set bail at $5,000.
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.
