CUBITANOW Newsroom ~ Tuesday March 21, 2023
A Cuban-born man living in Hialeah is facing numerous criminal charges after he was arrested for stealing parts of a car in the parking lot of a homestead hotel, Local 10 News reported yesterday.
Upon investigating the incident, police found that the defendant, identified as Pedro Martín, 51, ran an illegal towing business and also participated in the robbery along with an accomplice.
Officers were responding to an incident at the Uptown Suites Hotel at 1071 NE 28th Ave on Sunday, according to Homestead Police Department. regarding an alleged car theft that took place on Friday.
Martín, 51, was arrested in connection with the incident after authorities reviewed security footage of the area.
The arrest report, cited by Local 10, says Martin was shown surveillance video of him parking his tow truck in front of the car, getting out, urinating on the ground, and then walking to the victim’s vehicle. In the images, not only was the man captured moving around the site, he can also be seen with another person removing parts from the car.
Martin did not identify his accomplice, but he didn’t have to, officials later identified the second suspect as 47-year-old Michel Gonzalo-Soca.
Authorities also gathered evidence that Martin Gonzalo-Socas towed the truck from Hialeah to the trailer where he lives outside the hotel property.
According to police, after being shown surveillance video, Gonzalo-Soca tearfully confessed some details of the incident.
For his part, Martín will not only face trial for theft, as police have determined that his towing company does not have the necessary brands, licenses or documents to operate legally.
Both men face robbery and grand larceny charges, while Martin faces additional charges of towing an unmarked vehicle, a third-degree felony, and failing to keep or produce a towing transaction record, a misdemeanor. He also faces multiple violations of local ordinances that are considered “minor,” Local 10 News said.
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