MIAMI, FLORIDA: A Florida man who would film himself vandalizing and spray-painting the tombstone of two young men killed by a drunk driver has been arrested by Miami Police.
Brian Rodriguez, 26, is accused of repeatedly damaging and defacing the gravesite of Andres Zacarias and Jenser Salazar, both 21, at the Caballer Rivero Woodlawn Cemetery in Miami.
Who is Brian Rodriguez?
Brian Rodriguez would not just deface the gravesite but also allegedly sent videos of his acts to the families of the victims by uploading them on fake accounts, NBC6 reported.
The vandalism started in March when Rodriguez posted a video on Instagram showing him kicking and spray-painting the headstone.
He captioned the video “ROUND 1” and tagged the relatives of Zacarias and Salazar.
In June, he posted another video captioned “ROUND 2 HAD TO STRIKE AGAIN” showing him hammering the gravesite.
Who were the victims of the 2021, DUI crash involving Alex Garcia?
Then-16-year-old Alex Garcia was charged in the deaths of 21-year-old Yuhlia Gelats Barzaga, her boyfriend, 22-year-old Christian Mohip, and their friends, 21-year-old Andres Zacarias and 21-year-old Jenser Salazar in a New Year’s Day crash in 2021.
Investigators said Garcia was driving drunk and high when he slammed into the victims’ car. He accepted a plea deal in July and was sentenced to 14 years in prison.
Zacarias and Salazar who were best friends families said they were devastated and outraged by Rodriguez’s actions.
“There is no words to describe it,” said Ingrid Zacarias, Andres’ sister. “I think it was more like anger, kind of like, how can somebody do something like that to a gravestone? Like, why?”
Salazar's sister Haydee said he defaced the memorials of other crash victims and Zacarias and Salazar at least five times.
Has Alex Garcia any connection with the vandalism?
His attorney had previously addressed the vandalism and said, “Him nor his family have any connection to the vandalism. They condemn it; we’ve condemned it in the past."
Police as per the report said they identified Rodriguez as the suspect after reviewing surveillance footage from the cemetery and nearby locations. They also traced his cell phone location and obtained a positive identification from someone who knows him.
Rodriguez was arrested on Thursday and faces charges of disturbing the contents of a grave, burglary, and criminal mischief.
What was Brian Rodriguez's motive?
Miami Police said they were determined to bring justice to the victims and their families and to prevent similar acts of vandalism in the community.
“This arrest marks a crucial step towards justice and sends a resounding message that acts of desecration will not be tolerated within our community,” Miami Police said.
Ingrid and Haydee said they don’t know Rodriguez personally. “What we know of him is that he did go to middle school with Jenser and Andres, that he was a loner, envious of them. That’s about it,” said Ingrid. Detectives also said he did not say why he did it.
“His actions were disgusting, initials a lack of respect towards the family who are still grieving the loss of their loved ones,” said Miami Police Officer Kiara Delva as per WSVN.
Caballero Rivero Woodlawn North stated in a press release, “It’s unfortunate that anyone would vandalize a final resting place. We are thankful to the Miami Police Department, and will continue to work closely with them as this investigation unfolds.”
