SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – A South Florida man was arrested after showing an A.I.-generated video to a deputy at a store in Lake Mary last month, according to the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office.
In a release, the SCSO said that the deputy was inside Academy Sports along Lake Emma Road, which is when the man — identified as Alexis Martínez-Arizala, 25 — approached him.
“(Martínez-Arizala) claimed he had observed multiple people entering the deputy’s marked patrol vehicle in the parking lot and presented a video on his cell phone as evidence,” the release reads. “The video, approximately three seconds in length, appeared to show two individuals entering the patrol vehicle parked near the store.”
But when the deputy checked his patrol car, he found that nothing had been disturbed or stolen, investigators noted.
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Instead, store surveillance footage showed that no one had actually approached the patrol car during that timeframe, and deputies later concluded that the cell phone video had been fabricated.
Thus, a warrant was issued for Martínez-Arizala’s arrest, and he was taken into custody on Wednesday after being located in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
“Investigators also learned Martínez-Arizala posted content related to the encounter on his social media accounts in an apparent attempt to gain attention and create viral content,” the release continues.
Now, Martínez-Arizala faces charges of fabricating physical evidence, making a false report to law enforcement, unlawful use of a two-way communication device, and knowingly giving false information to a law enforcement officer concerning the alleged commission of a crime.
He is set to be extradited to Seminole County, where he’ll be held on $7,000 bond.
“The misuse of artificial intelligence to create deepfake videos is a growing concern, particularly when it targets public safety professionals,” Sheriff Dennis Lemma said. “These fabricated videos can damage reputations, create unnecessary tensions, and raise real safety concerns for the first responders who serve our communities. As this technology becomes more accessible, we take these types of crimes seriously and will take action to protect those who are targeted in our community, including both private citizens and the public safety professionals who work every day to keep our residents safe.”
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