Man Arrested for Attempted Strangulation of Wife

NEWBERRY ‒ A 29-year-old Newberry man was arrested on Saturday, Feb. 10, at 9 p.m. after he allegedly pointed a gun at his wife and her cousin.

According to the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO), Belsar Francisco Cruz Vicente reportedly had been arguing with his wife over money for their son’s birthday party when he became physically aggressive toward her, placing his hands around her neck in order to strangle her, and then pointed a loaded firearm to her face.

The victim said she was on her front porch trying to get Cruz Vicente to provide money for their son’s birthday when he became upset and put his hands around her neck, intentionally impeding her breathing and blood circulation.

According to the victim, her cousin came out of the house to help her, and Cruz Vicente went to his vehicle, grabbed a semi-automatic pistol, loaded it and pointed it at her cousin.

The woman said she told Cruz Vicente to stop threatening her cousin since he was just trying to help her. Cruz Vicente then pointed the firearm at his wife’s face.

Thinking that Cruz Vicente was going to shoot her, she went inside the house and locked herself in the bathroom. Cruz Vicente entered the home, and his wife told him to get out. She said that Cruz Vicente took their 5-year-old child into his vehicle and drove to the gas station, taking the firearm with him.

The victim had minor bruising around her neck that was consistent with her description of the incident. The victim’s cousin, who was on the scene when the incident took place, verified that the victim’s description of the incident was accurate, but did not want to fill out a written statement since he did not want to be part of the investigation.

After deputies advised Cruz Vicente of his Miranda rights, Cruz Vicente said he did not have a firearm with him at any point that night, and that he used to own a firearm but he no longer had possession of it. The defendant said he was just having an argument with his wife and she was the one who physically attacked him, so he attacked her back. Cruz Vicente claimed he was not the primary aggressor and that he did not use a firearm to point it at his wife.

Cruz Vicente’s 5-year-old son, who was in the vehicle when the defendant left the house to go to the gas station, said he saw Cruz Vicente throw the firearm into the woods when they were far away from the house.

Cruz Vicente was charged with domestic battery by strangulation, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and tampering with evidence.

Cruz Vicente has a local history of traffic citations going back to 2022, with all of them noting that he has no Florida driver’s license. He was arrested twice in 2022, once for driving without a valid license in June and once for hit and run with property damage and cocaine possession in September.

Court documents describe attempts to interview him as unsuccessful, noting a language barrier and an unwillingness to participate in the interview during his two arrests. There is a notation that he has a federal criminal history (“ICE: Immigration”) from 2019.

Following the June 2022 arrest, Cruz Vicente failed to appear at a hearing and a warrant for his arrest was issued. After he was apprehended, adjudication of guilt was withheld, and he was fined $358. He has not paid the fines and fees in that case.

Following the September 2022 arrest, Cruz Vicente successfully completed a deferred prosecution agreement, resulting in the charges being dropped. A few weeks later, a warrant for his arrest was issued when he failed to appear at a court hearing in another case of driving without a valid license.

Bail was set at $12,099 on the new charges by Judge Craig C. DeThomasis who also ordered Cruz Vicente held without bond on the warrant.

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