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Elusive 'Booty Patrol' on the loose
Deputies are on high alert as they try to apprehend an elusive "Booty Patrol" that's causing a stir on the streets of Florida. The DeSoto County Sheriff's Office is seeking the public's help in identifying the driver of a white Chevrolet Silverado impersonating law enforcement. The truck, bearing license plate H05F41, is equipped with red and blue lights and has the words "BOOTY PATROL" plastered on the side.
DESOTO COUNTY, Fla. - The "Booty Patrol" saga is far from over.
Back in October, the DeSoto County Sheriff's Office shared photos on Facebook raising awareness about a truck decked out with lights and decals for "impersonating law enforcement." All around the truck, it says "Booty Patrol" – which deputies said later resembled that of a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol vehicle.
At the time, deputies said they caught up with the driver and the vehicle and issued him a traffic citation for $113 for having prohibited lights on the truck. Now, FOX 35 has obtained court documents that the driver, Gabriel Luviano-Renteria, has been summoned in court after criminal charges were filed against him.
Photo: DeSoto County Sheriff's Office
ORIGINAL STORY: Florida deputies on the hunt for elusive 'Booty Patrol' roaming streets, pulling drivers over
The 18-year-old from Bradenton is now being charged with fraud impersonation/unlawful use of police badge and obstructing police/unlawful use of blue lights, according to court documents filed in DeSoto County on Nov. 21. Both are first-degree misdemeanors.
He appeared in court last week on Jan. 10 and entered a plea of not guilty, demanding a trial by jury, according to court records. A new court date hasn't been set yet.
An affidavit from the DeSoto County Sheriff's Office revealed the timeline leading up to Luviano-Renteria's citation, which ultimately blossomed into criminal charges.
On Oct. 29, deputies on patrol at the Mosaic Arena saw a truck in the parking lot with red and blue flashing lights in the grill, according to the affidavit.
"This vehicle appeared to be a law enforcement vehicle from where I was standing," the deputy said in the report.
Photo: DeSoto County Sheriff's Office
When he and a couple of other deputies walked over to the vehicle to investigate, the truck turned its lights off and took off in the parking lot at a high rate of speed. The truck left the parking lot, triggering a BOLO, the affidavit said.
"As I observed the vehicle traveling out of the parking lot, I observed that the paint scheme was similar to a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol vehicle (white with green strip and indicia on door)," the deputy said in the report.
Later that day, a deputy saw the vehicle on Gibson Street and conducted a traffic stop. The deputy told Luviano-Renteria that he had police lights in his vehicle and had them on, but the teen said where he's from – in Bradenton – it's not illegal. He was issued a traffic citation for the lights.
Photo: DeSoto County Sheriff's Office
The next day, the original deputy who spotted the truck at the Mosaic Arena decided to dig a little deeper into the "Booty Patrol." He reviewed dash and bodycam footage from the traffic stop, and came to the conclusion that the "Booty Patrol" decals and other indicia were in the same location as Border Patrol vehicles, the report said.
"I pulled up a side-by-side photo of a Border Patrol vehicle and this subject vehicle and they were identical," the deputy said. FOX 35 did the same. You can see the comparison below:
Top: Booty Patrol via DeSoto County Sheriff's Office / Bottom: Border Patrol via Paul Ratje/Bloomberg via Getty Images
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The deputy said he also found the teen's social media account, where he "uses this vehicle for publicity and followers and for fame," adding that he uses hashtags like #immigration and #ice and "talks about how his truck is illegal," according to the affidavit.
The deputy called for the State Attorney's Office to review the case and file charges. On Nov. 21, the 12th Judicial Circuit filed a criminal summons for Luviano-Renteria in lieu of physical arrest. He's scheduled to appear in court in January.
He paid the $113 citation a week prior to the criminal charges being filed.
The DeSoto County Sheriff's Office said if you or anyone you know has been pulled over by the "Booty Patrol," or if you have any information related to these incidents, please contact deputies at 863-993-4700.