Credit Card Fraud at Chuck E. Cheese: The Costume Didn't Help | Police Bodycam

[00:00:00]A customer reported her card stolen at Chuck-E-Cheese in Tallahassee, Florida.

[00:00:04]Officers identified the suspect on surveillance using that card at six separate locations over one month. That surveillance record is what drove this arrest. Not a tip, not a hunch. Camera footage across multiple businesses, timestamped and documented. Three legal questions define this encounter. Was the arrest constitutionally grounded? Were Miranda rights properly handled? And was the search lawful once he was in custody?

[00:00:36]>> Use the bathroom.

[00:00:39]Use the bathroom. Use the bathroom.

[00:00:47]>> What did you say? You said I just need to use the bathroom.

[00:00:49]>> I know. I went in. I was like, I need piss. Um I just went to open the gate.

[00:00:53]He was like looking at me like he was like he was just looking at me. I was like, I got to go to the bathroom, dude.

[00:00:56]And he's like, "What's going on?" I was like, "I have to take piss." He's like, they slowly open the gate with the look on his face, you know. And coming out, he was looking at me like I was about to grab him.

[00:01:04]>> Uhhuh.

[00:01:05]>> He was and he asked what was going on again. I was like, man, I had to be so bad. Thank you.

[00:01:09]>> Oh, you didn't tell him everything?

[00:01:10]>> No, I didn't tell him anything what was going on.

[00:01:12]>> You should have told him.

[00:01:12]>> No. Why would I tell him?

[00:01:14]>> You don't tell him the truth.

[00:01:16]>> You lie to him.

[00:01:17]>> Oh, [laughter] well, I told him the truth. I didn't take a B.

[00:01:21]>> Oh my god.

[00:01:22]>> All right, I'm going live.

[00:01:23]>> Yeah, for sure.

[00:01:24]>> This is going to be epic. management.

[00:01:27]They already >> Yes, we are.

[00:01:39]>> Do it. I want you to go around.

[00:01:45]You want me You want me to come in front of you, kids? Okay.

[00:01:50]>> Ma'am, who's in the mouth suit? Was it the gentleman that was just up here?

[00:01:53]Okay.

[00:01:59]Chuckyy's a little bit busy, man.

[00:02:01]Chucky, come with me, Chucky. Come on.

[00:02:03]>> Come with Chucky. Chucky, stop resisting. Stop resisting.

[00:02:07]>> You're being detained. Stop resisting.

[00:02:09]Let it Let it go. Let it go. Do not cause a scene here, sir.

[00:02:14]I got >> Hey, he's the suspect. He stole someone's car here and he's using it.

[00:02:29]>> We're going to talk to you in a minute.

[00:02:30]Okay.

[00:02:31]>> We got to do our job, ma'am.

[00:02:36]>> It's not my call, ma'am.

[00:02:39]>> Yeah. We'll have to get it back to you.

[00:02:42]I am no problem. He could let that man walk out the door.

[00:02:44]>> He's a crime. He's a criminal. What would you like to know?

[00:02:47]>> I would like y'all to walk him out the door and comp SOMEBODY LIKE CHUCKY.

[00:02:53]>> WOULD Y'ALL PUT MICKEY Mouse in handcuffs?

[00:02:55]>> Have a good night.

[00:02:56]>> Have a good night. I will.

[00:03:00]>> I'm going to talk to you in a minute.

[00:03:01]Let you know what's going on. Okay.

[00:03:02]>> I don't know [ __ ] about this.

[00:03:04]>> All right, that's fine.

[00:03:05]>> I don't know [ __ ] about monkey.

[00:03:07]>> I got you. I'm I'm working entertaining kids from living.

[00:03:11]>> I got you, buddy. Come over here.

[00:03:12]>> [ __ ] you.

[00:03:13]>> You got You got anything on you? It's going to poke me stick me stab me.

[00:03:16]>> You got anything on you?

[00:03:21]>> Does this come off, man? Is Is that Does this just come off the top? Oh, I heard you.

[00:03:25]>> I worked here.

[00:03:28]>> I understand you weren't here.

[00:03:29]>> What the [ __ ] is this about?

[00:03:31]>> Well, we're going to talk to you.

[00:03:32]>> We're going to talk to you in a second.

[00:03:33]>> Um, how does this come off, man? Is it just like a normal >> Can I get I got to take this back. This is my work stuff.

[00:03:39]>> Okay, take care of that.

[00:03:40]>> Yeah, we'll do it. Put them in the car and read them and then go from there.

[00:03:43]>> Search him as best you can. I know he's probably got >> uh internal pants, but >> I got to take all this stuff off, bro.

[00:03:52]>> I got to get him dressed.

[00:03:56]>> What is going on?

[00:03:56]>> Just have >> Just pat him down. Just pat him down for now. Just make sure there's nothing crazy. You have any weapons, knives?

[00:04:02]>> I don't carry weapons.

[00:04:03]>> Okay, perfect. I'm going read you something. Okay.

[00:04:05]>> What is going on? I'm about to explain that to you right after just get dressed.

[00:04:08]>> I don't know what yall talking about or what's going on.

[00:04:11]>> I'm officer Cruz.

[00:04:12]>> The parents are not police department.

[00:04:14]I'm conducting criminal investigation concerning fraud.

[00:04:18]>> Any false statements about material matters?

[00:04:20]>> Do you understand each of these rights as I've explained them to you?

[00:04:23]>> Yeah, I understand. But what is going on? I don't know anything.

[00:04:26]>> Have you previously requested any law enforcement officer to allow you to speak to an attorney?

[00:04:31]>> I haven't. I don't know anything about none of this. Having these rights in mind, do you wish to talk to us now?

[00:04:37]>> What is going on?

[00:04:39]>> Having these rights in mind, do you want us to talk to you? Do you wish to talk to us about what's going on?

[00:04:42]>> I just need I just want to know what's going on. I have to get back to work.

[00:04:46]>> Sir, having these rights in mind, do you wish to talk to us now?

[00:04:50]>> Why are y'all even harassing me and I didn't even do anything? I'm here working.

[00:04:55]>> Sir, I need you to answer the questions before I talk to you. Having these rights in mind, do you wish to talk to us now?

[00:05:00]>> I I Why? What? I talked to y'all up and I don't know what's going on.

[00:05:04]>> It's a yes or a no, sir. Having these rights in mind, do you wish to talk to us now?

[00:05:09]>> Whatever, man.

[00:05:10]>> Yeah.

[00:05:11]>> Is that a yes? Okay.

[00:05:12]>> All right.

[00:05:13]>> Let's start with probable cause. The fourth amendment requires officers to have a reasonable belief based on articulable facts that a crime was committed by this specific person. The Supreme Court in Illinois versus Gates 1983 established the totality of circumstances standard. Courts look at the full picture, not any one fact in isolation. Here the picture is clear.

[00:05:37]Eyewitness identification from the victim. Multilocation surveillance footage. The suspect present at the original scene of the theft. That is textbook probable cause. The fourth amendment was not violated here. The arrest was lawful. Now Miranda, most people think Miranda is about being read your rights at the moment of arrest. It is not. It applies the moment custodial interrogation begins. The Supreme Court in Miranda versus Arizona 1966 requires four specific advisements before officers can question someone in custody. The right to remain silent.

[00:06:12]That statements can be used in court.

[00:06:14]The right to an attorney and the right to appointed counsel if the person cannot afford one. Officer Cruz delivered all four. But he went further than required. And this is where it gets interesting. He asked whether the subject had previously requested counsel from any other officer. That question comes from Edwards versus Arizona 1981.

[00:06:33]Once someone invokes the right to counsel, all questioning must stop permanently until counsel is present. By asking that follow-up question, Officer Cruz was checking whether he was even allowed to proceed. That is procedural sophistication most officers skip. He did not skip it. The subject's responses during the waiver phase are worth analyzing carefully. He kept asking what was going on instead of clearly invoking or clearly waving. In Burgis versus Tomkins 2010, the Supreme Court ruled that an ambiguous or equivocal statement does not invoke the right to silence.

[00:07:07]The suspect must speak clearly and unambiguously. What is going on is a question, not an invocation. Officer Cruz was correct to require a direct yes or no before continuing. Once the subject waved and the questioning began, his statements became admissible. And those statements were damaging, not because of what he confessed, but because of what he contradicted. He denied using any card except his own cash app, then admitted visiting the meat market, then introduced a cousin, then admitted the card was in his pocket. Each statement was documented on body camera. Each one walks back the previous denial. A prosecutor will use that progression to dismantle any defense of innocent possession. So, we are investigating some some fraud stuff with the credit card. Did you uh have you been using anyone else's credit card anywhere?

[00:07:55]>> No, sir.

[00:07:56]>> Have you been Have you been shopping lately with a credit card?

[00:07:58]>> No, sir. Only card I use is my own cash app. That's it.

[00:08:01]>> So, you don't use a credit card anywhere?

[00:08:03]>> No, sir.

[00:08:03]>> Okay. Um you you've never obtained a credit card from here, found one, lost or whatever else and use it anywhere else. So there wouldn't be any video of you anywhere shopping with a credit card >> like at the meat market.

[00:08:18]>> At the meat market that doesn't belong to you?

[00:08:20]>> I don't know anything about a meat market.

[00:08:22]>> You don't shop at the meat market? You So you haven't gone anywhere and used a credit card to shop anywhere in the past week?

[00:08:28]>> No.

[00:08:29]>> Okay. Um >> push them on the location.

[00:08:35]>> Okay. Well, yeah. What about All right.

[00:08:36]Well, I tell you what. I don't know anything about >> I I was going to look at the video for myself cuz I don't remember the names of the places.

[00:08:42]>> I don't even know anything about none of these.

[00:08:44]>> Okay.

[00:08:46]>> As far as I know cuz I cannot afford to lose this job. This is all I know and love.

[00:08:51]>> I got you.

[00:08:53]>> Have you ever been to a place called 720 >> 720 in Tallahassee?

[00:08:58]>> Orange Avenue. The meat market. Oh, >> the meat market's meat market.

[00:09:03]>> The one that you're on film stealing.

[00:09:04]>> What about Cloud Smoke Shop? You ever been there? Okay.

[00:09:08]>> You're also on your own stealing.

[00:09:09]>> What about the water burger? You go to the water burger and get some food with a credit card.

[00:09:13]>> Okay.

[00:09:14]>> Only >> neighborhood meat market. You went there multiple times.

[00:09:17]>> I use my own car. No, I don't use other people's stuff for nothing.

[00:09:21]>> Okay. At the meat market. You use your own card?

[00:09:23]>> My own card. That's it.

[00:09:24]>> So, you do you did go to the meat market then?

[00:09:26]>> I go there, but I don't use nobody car.

[00:09:28]I bought my own.

[00:09:29]>> When's the last time you went there?

[00:09:31]>> The meat market?

[00:09:32]>> A few days ago?

[00:09:33]>> Few days ago. Okay. And you used your own card there?

[00:09:36]>> Yes. on my own. Nobody else's.

[00:09:38]>> Is that the app thing you were talking about? Your Apple Pay thing?

[00:09:40]>> I take Cash App.

[00:09:41]>> They take Cash App there. Okay. What about the Time Savers, too?

[00:09:45]>> Cash App.

[00:09:46]>> Cash App. So, you've been there recently?

[00:09:49]>> About two weeks ago?

[00:09:52]>> What about Tony Mart?

[00:09:55]>> No.

[00:09:55]>> Haven't been there recently. You >> haven't been to Tony Mart. Okay. Time savers again. So, you you go to these places and use your cash app on your phone to pay for stuff?

[00:10:04]Never with a card. Okay. Okay. So, if we got video of you using a card, >> I use my own car, no one else's.

[00:10:10]>> Well, you said it's a phone, right? It's a >> I I have that card, but it's not with me today.

[00:10:15]>> You have the car, but it's not what cards do you have on you today?

[00:10:18]>> I don't got no card on me. Boss cards.

[00:10:21]That's it.

[00:10:21]>> That's it. Okay.

[00:10:23]>> And a pack of cigarettes. That's it.

[00:10:26]>> Okay. So, you're So, you're denying all all claims of of going over to these places and using uh someone else's credit card? I don't you nobody call but my own.

[00:10:35]>> Okay. You know how much meat you bought or about how much stuff you spent in the past few weeks on your uh your your Apple card or your cash app card or whatever card you had?

[00:10:43]>> Not too sure.

[00:10:44]>> Not too sure >> cuz I don't work.

[00:10:47]>> Okay.

[00:10:48]>> No ballpark figure.

[00:10:49]>> What What were you buying from like the the 420 the smoke shops? Just cigarettes or >> cigarettes? I just cigarettes.

[00:10:55]>> Okay. What about the other shops? What were you buying from there?

[00:11:00]>> [snorts] >> Don't know.

[00:11:05]>> Don't remember.

[00:11:06]>> Don't remember. Okay. So, just just meat and cigarettes.

[00:11:08]>> I don't know nothing about all this stuff. I don't use no car on my own car.

[00:11:12]I don't know nothing about this other [ __ ] >> Does that look like you? Something you wear?

[00:11:17]>> No, sir. I don't wear no stuff like that.

[00:11:19]>> You don't wear anything like that?

[00:11:20]That's not you.

[00:11:23]>> That's not you.

[00:11:27]>> Hey, look at me. It's going to be in your best interest to tell the truth.

[00:11:31]Okay? Don't don't pretend like that's not you in the picture. All right? You know it's you. Just start telling us the truth.

[00:11:38]>> I don't want to go to jail.

[00:11:40]>> I mean, if you're lying to us, you're only going to make things worse on yourself, buddy, cuz all that's going to go in the report and all the judge is going to see all that [ __ ] >> I'm not trying to go to jail today.

[00:11:48]>> I I understand that, but we got to investigate what happened here. So, if you want to I mean, if you want to let us know what's going on, that would help everyone here, including yourself.

[00:11:58]Thanks.

[00:11:59]>> Hey, do you do you know his name?

[00:12:02]>> I know his name.

[00:12:02]>> Yeah, I do. I mean, he's my employee.

[00:12:05]Can you take the stuff off the >> Yeah, we're going to hold >> We're going to we're going to take it off here in a second.

[00:12:13]>> So, for as long as you've been working here, he's been he's been here.

[00:12:16]>> Uh, okay. Just let you know, there is a a lady that had a birthday party here. He stole her credit card and has been using it for the last month.

[00:12:28]So that's that's why we're doing all this.

[00:12:30]>> All right.

[00:12:31]>> He he had known that we were here and we saw him through the window in his regular outfit, his regular uniform. And then I think he he thought that he could hide in the Chuck-E-Cheese uniform and that's why he volunteered for it or does he usually so he has to be Chucky. He's a Chucky person.

[00:12:48]>> He usually is.

[00:12:49]>> Yeah. So I mean I understand what y'all doing. I just the soup. I got a lot of kids. They come to see Chucky. They literally crying there right now.

[00:12:55]>> I got the whole store.

[00:12:58]>> Well, have a have a seat in there. I'm going to check something.

[00:13:00]>> Feet slide off. You can find the feet off.

[00:13:02]>> Yeah, let me take these off.

[00:13:03]>> He wants to the manager wants a uniform.

[00:13:05]So, let's try and take that off.

[00:13:08]>> So, I can take this off.

[00:13:10]>> Hold on a second.

[00:13:10]>> Yeah, just give a sec.

[00:13:13]>> Let me see your feet.

[00:13:15]>> Go get more shoes and everything.

[00:13:17]>> Okay. Yeah, we'll we'll take care of that.

[00:13:20]>> I'm not trying to go to jail today.

[00:13:23]>> I'm I don't want to go to jail today. We don't want to come here and take you to jail.

[00:13:27]>> I don't want to go to jail today.

[00:13:29]>> All right, you stand up. Is there a belt on those pants?

[00:13:32]>> I got to take You got to uncover me so I can take all this stuff off.

[00:13:35]>> No, no, no. We're going to take it off for you. Is there a belt on your pants?

[00:13:38]>> I got to take this stuff off to get to my regular [ __ ] >> I don't think you're understanding.

[00:13:42]>> Hold on. I want to talk to real quick.

[00:13:46]>> You got attachers up there. It's going to have to come off of here.

[00:13:52]>> We'll we'll work on this and get it to you as soon as we can. Yeah, >> Zoe.

[00:14:01]I'm not trying to lose this job.

[00:14:08]>> Something that I don't even know [ __ ] know what >> if we take these cuts off.

[00:14:13]>> Are we going to have to get in a fight?

[00:14:15]>> No, sir. I'm going to cooperate.

[00:14:16]>> All right. Good.

[00:14:17]>> I'm going to cooperate like a regular person.

[00:14:20]>> Thank you.

[00:14:20]>> All I do is do this 9 to5 every day.

[00:14:23]That's it. I go to work, come home.

[00:14:25]That's it. Huh?

[00:14:27]>> Yeah.

[00:14:29]I think they Oh, this about to cost me money. I'm about to lose.

[00:14:33]>> I hope not, man. I know the the owner's a pretty good guy or the the man.

[00:14:36]>> The GM.

[00:14:36]>> The GM. He's a good guy. I don't know if it's going to cost you your job, man.

[00:14:39]>> I don't want to go to jail for nothing I didn't do. If I find a card or something, I turn it in if I'm in.

[00:14:45]>> We'll get it figured out, man. We'll get it figured out.

[00:14:46]>> Thank you.

[00:14:47]>> If I was to find a card or something, I'm giving it up. I don't do nothing with other people cards. My body camera is on >> and it's recorded you saying that. Okay, go ahead and take your shirt off, please.

[00:15:00]>> All her ass in the back, man. Working.

[00:15:03]>> Not really.

[00:15:05]>> All I do is work. This >> Okay, I believe you.

[00:15:09]>> We're just doing our job right now, too, sir. Okay.

[00:15:12]>> I don't know. Can I smoke a cigarette?

[00:15:14]>> Not right now. Right now.

[00:15:15]>> Not right now.

[00:15:15]>> We'll get to that in a second.

[00:15:22]>> Thank you. All right, stand up. Face away from me. Put your ass right back.

[00:15:29]I don't want to go to jail today.

[00:15:35]I might have been on camera in that store you saw, but not using what y'all think.

[00:15:39]>> Okay.

[00:15:45]>> Thank you for that.

[00:15:47]>> I'm not trying to lose the rest of my work day.

[00:15:51]What's your middle name?

[00:15:53]>> You said Jay. What's your middle name, sir?

[00:15:55]>> JRo.

[00:15:56]>> JRo.

[00:15:57]>> Yeah.

[00:15:57]>> How do you spell it?

[00:15:58]>> J A R R E A U. I hate that name.

[00:16:01]>> J A R R E A U.

[00:16:03]>> Yes, sir.

[00:16:04]>> Like I said, we're just doing our job, too, man.

[00:16:09]>> I'm just ready to get back inside. I'm ready to go back to work.

[00:16:12]>> I hear you. I hear you. We got to do what we got to do. We came here to do and then we'll figure out what we're going to do.

[00:16:16]>> You have an ID or a driver's license at all?

[00:16:19]It's supposed to be a ID card, but I don't have it. I have to get it renewed.

[00:16:23]>> How long you been working here for?

[00:16:25]>> Two years.

[00:16:25]>> Two years.

[00:16:26]>> And I love it.

[00:16:27]>> Yeah. It's good. It's a good place. It's a good job.

[00:16:29]>> I ain't trying to lose this over some [ __ ] I don't have no control of.

[00:16:33]>> Gotcha.

[00:16:34]>> Got me feeling like these kids not doing got I entertain kids for a living.

[00:16:41]>> I gota that's all he has. If he would have used a card at all of these stores that he's he's seen himself on camera at, it would have been either his phone, cash app, or the cash app. All plain white card with a magnetic strip on the back.

[00:16:54]>> So, the card that we see you using in the footage with the circle on it, >> what card is that?

[00:17:01]>> I didn't get that card.

[00:17:02]>> That's what we see in the footage. So, what is that?

[00:17:07]>> One of my cousins may send me with their car to go to the store here and there.

[00:17:11]That's it. What does that card look like?

[00:17:14]>> I do not know because it's not with me.

[00:17:16]>> So, I'm going to need your cousin's information.

[00:17:19]>> I don't know none of their information.

[00:17:21]>> You don't know their information, but they send you to this store with their credit card.

[00:17:24]>> They be right there with me.

[00:17:26]>> Where do they stay?

[00:17:30]>> You know, how do you get in touch with them?

[00:17:32]>> Not too far. Hang.

[00:17:33]>> What's their phone number?

[00:17:35]>> She don't got one.

[00:17:36]>> She don't got a phone number. So, where does she stay? right now.

[00:17:41]>> Where's your cousin stay at?

[00:17:43]>> Hey, >> I gave you a card. What's that?

[00:17:45]>> On the other side of town, man.

[00:17:46]>> Other side? Where? On the other side of town.

[00:17:49]>> I'm trying to help. I'm trying to help you. You're telling me you're going with your cousin's car? Give me some information on how to find your cousin so we can verify and see what kind of card she has so we can help you. If you If you're going to tell me you're going with someone's card, then not give me any information that helps me see if that's valid. She was like a gray car, but I don't know what kind of gray car that actually is cuz I only use them maybe a couple times in the >> Have you gone Have you gone to the store with anyone else's car other than hers in the past few weeks?

[00:18:13]>> No, >> just hers. Okay.

[00:18:15]>> So, what's her name?

[00:18:18]>> All I know is key. That's all I know.

[00:18:20]>> Key.

[00:18:20]>> Yeah, that's all I know. I don't know her actually.

[00:18:22]>> K E Y.

[00:18:23]>> Yeah, that's all I All I know by >> 787, right?

[00:18:26]>> Okay. What's Key's phone number?

[00:18:28]>> I don't have her number.

[00:18:29]>> How do you get in touch with her?

[00:18:33]Okay.

[00:18:33]>> Do you have anything inside? Your manager's asking any personal items inside for us to get for you or anything like that.

[00:18:39]>> Well, what's going on?

[00:18:40]>> Um, well, you're probably going to jail, so >> I can't afford to go to jail today.

[00:18:45]>> I understand.

[00:18:46]>> I'm about to get fired.

[00:18:48]>> I hope he doesn't fire you, sir.

[00:18:49]>> Do you have anything else you need us to grab for you?

[00:18:51]>> Can I get my own stay in there?

[00:18:54]>> Work keys? Yeah. Where are they so I can tell him?

[00:18:57]>> In the Chucky room.

[00:18:58]>> In the Chucky room. Edit. Work keys.

[00:19:01]>> Yes, sir. What else? Wallet or anything like that?

[00:19:03]>> I don't got a wallet.

[00:19:04]>> You don't have a wallet?

[00:19:06]>> What you're telling me is not making a whole lot of sense with what I'm seeing.

[00:19:09]And it's if if you want to lie to us, you can lie to us. That's your choice.

[00:19:12]>> I'm not going to lie to y'all by [ __ ] >> If you want to tell us, you know, the truth or you can tell us whatever, you know what I mean? But if you the more truthful you are with us, the more it's going to help you in the long run.

[00:19:22]>> Cuz I'm not trying to go to jail today at all.

[00:19:25]>> I understand that. But that's where we're at right now. We're going to jail right now. Yeah. So, >> so just so you understand, we have you on camera with someone else's card and then the exact amounts that you purchased the items and the times that you appear on camera on camera.

[00:19:39]>> We do have probable cause for an arrest.

[00:19:41]>> We have everything that that just letting you know.

[00:19:44]>> We're being routed to the jail.

[00:19:45]>> Search them. Okay, >> we'll search them.

[00:19:47]>> Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on.

[00:19:49]>> Don't be reaching for anything, buddy.

[00:19:50]>> I want to tell y'all something.

[00:19:51]>> Say what?

[00:19:52]>> What do you want?

[00:19:52]>> I found a card today.

[00:19:54]>> Okay.

[00:19:54]>> I found a card today. I never use this card, but I do have a card.

[00:19:59]>> So, we're going to find that card when we >> We're going to find that on you. Huh?

[00:20:01]>> Okay, >> that's fine. Step out and face away.

[00:20:03]>> I'm just complaining, y'all.

[00:20:06]>> What am I being charged with?

[00:20:11]>> What am I being charged?

[00:20:12]>> You don't have anything that's going to poke me or stick me right there.

[00:20:15]>> Last thing I want to do is get poked by something. Okay.

[00:20:17]>> What am I being charged with?

[00:20:25]That's for my smoke show.

[00:20:26]>> Do you have a medical marijuana license, sir?

[00:20:29]>> I was on the way to getting one.

[00:20:31]>> Okay. All right.

[00:20:32]>> On the way here. Just set it up top.

[00:20:37]>> That's mine.

[00:20:38]>> Oh, I wonder what this one is.

[00:20:40]>> Yep. And there's yours, too. So, you did have your car on here. I thought you told me you didn't have anything.

[00:20:44]>> I thought I didn't have it today.

[00:20:46]>> I found that today.

[00:20:48]>> Okay.

[00:20:48]>> I found that today. All right, sir.

[00:20:52]>> Got you.

[00:20:54]Can I not please smoke a cigarette?

[00:20:55]>> That's good.

[00:20:57]>> That's going to be up to my boss here.

[00:20:58]>> You want to let him smoke a cigarette?

[00:21:00]>> No, >> please.

[00:21:01]>> No, sir. Uh, jail staff can decide that when you get there. Okay.

[00:21:04]>> All right. So, hop in. So, we'll take a photo of this and give it back to you in just a second after we photo. Okay.

[00:21:16]>> Oh, no.

[00:21:18]>> Oh, man. No. Oh gosh, dude. When was this?

[00:21:24]She's special.

[00:21:28]>> All right, man. We're about to head to the jail. Okay. I'm uh I'm going to impound that uh that marijuana you have for destruction. Okay.

[00:21:36]>> I'm not going to charge you with it.

[00:21:38]>> Huh?

[00:21:40]>> I'm not going to charge you with marijuana.

[00:21:41]>> Okay.

[00:21:42]>> Cigarettes. Can I get them in my pocket, please?

[00:21:45]>> Are they still in your pocket?

[00:21:46]>> No, sir.

[00:21:46]>> What? Where are the cigarettes?

[00:21:48]>> They threw them away.

[00:21:49]>> You threw them away, didn't you? No.

[00:21:51]>> What?

[00:21:52]>> I threw cigarettes away. Are you sure?

[00:21:54]>> I did.

[00:21:54]>> Oh, okay. I didn't. Okay. No, we tossed them. This is >> They can't go to the jail, buddy.

[00:22:00]>> What?

[00:22:03]>> Um, >> I I My officer already threw them away, bud.

[00:22:07]>> What's the question?

[00:22:07]>> He wants He wants some smoke when he gets out.

[00:22:10]>> You're going to have to buy some more, dude.

[00:22:12]>> Sorry about that.

[00:22:13]>> Get out of here.

[00:22:14]>> Now, the search. Once an arrest is lawful, officers have the authority to search the person incident to that arrest without a warrant without additional justification. United States versus Robinson 1973 established this rule. The logic is officer safety and the need to preserve evidence on the person. The mascot costume created a unique complication. A full body padded suit means officers cannot immediately assess whether the person is armed. That is a real safety concern, not a technicality. Officers handled it correctly. They did not strip the costume in the middle of a room full of children. They guided the subject away, then searched methodically. The search itself was lawful. One tactical concern does stand out. At approximately 16 minutes and 56 seconds, the subject made an unannounced reaching movement toward his body. The officer responded verbally. He did not physically intervene at that instant. with a confirmed fraud suspect in custody. That gap, however brief, is a training point.

[00:23:16]The search recovered the stolen card still in his pocket. The card he said he did not have. That is the case right there. Officers also found marijuana without a valid medical license. Officer Cruz made a discretionary call not to add that charge. That is soundfield judgment. Keep the focus on the primary felony. Under Florida statute 817.61, 61. Fraudulent use of a credit card is a thirdderee felony up to 5 years in Florida state prison per count. Theft under Florida statute 812.014 carries penalties that escalate with the dollar amount stolen. With six locations over 1 month, the aggregate value matters significantly. At the time of this analysis, no court disposition has been entered in the public record. The charges were filed. The outcome remains unknown. Now, grades. Officer Cruz receives an A minus. The investigation was methodical. The Miranda advisement was complete and properly documented.

[00:24:16]The Edwards versus Arizona follow-up question alone demonstrates a level of procedural awareness that is not common in routine arrest situations that is worth recognizing. The decision not to charge the marijuana reflects real world prioritization, a prosecutor's mindset applied at the field level. These are marks of an officer who understands the law, not just the procedure. The deduction comes from the reaching movement moment. Physical control of a detained suspect's hands must be maintained continuously. Verbal warnings alone are not a substitute. The subject receives a C plus. He did not physically escalate in a crowded environment. He cooperated with the search. That matters and it is acknowledged, but his legal decision-making was poor from the first minute. He waved Miranda, then immediately began contradicting himself.

[00:25:05]Each statement gave investigators more than they had before he opened his mouth. The cousin story. The denial of possessing any cards. Admitting he had been on camera at the store. Every pivot was documented. None of it helped. A clear invocation of the right to silence. Just six words. I am not answering questions. Would have ended that interrogation. He never said those words. What can we take from this encounter? Three things stand out.

[00:25:33]First, Miranda compliance is not a formality. Officer Cruz's handling of the waiver phase is a model. Requiring an unambiguous yes or no before proceeding is exactly what the law demands. Second, what a suspect says after waving rights does not just inform investigators. It shapes the entire prosecution. Changing your story on camera is not a defense. It is evidence of consciousness, of guilt. Third, probable cause built on surveillance across multiple locations is among the most durable evidence a prosecutor can bring into court. It does not rely on officer testimony alone. The subject in this case was not undone by a single bad decision. He was undone by a month of documented choices and 30 minutes of conversation. Let us know if there is an interaction or legal topic that you would like us to discuss in the comments below. Thank you for watching and do not forget to check out our second channel, Street Body Cam, for even more police interaction and courtroom content.