COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (AP) — A South Florida prepare dinner says he lived a nightmare lately when police mistook him for a fugitive with the identical title, related seems to be and virtually the identical birthday.
Leonardo Silva Oliveira, 26, was needed for probation violation on fees out of Boca Raton. However on Jan. 20, authorities arrested Leonardo Silva Oliveira, 26, outdoors the Broward County restaurant the place he’s a prepare dinner, the South Florida SunSentinel reported.
Oliveria, the prepare dinner, spent 5 days within the Broward County Jail. He says authorities ought to have identified he was not the fugitive as a result of he was 10 days youthful and doesn’t have tattoos. The police report mentioned Oliveria, the fugitive, sports activities a constructing tattoo on the left arm and a clock on the correct.
“They checked my arms. They didn’t see any. However they nonetheless took me in,” the prepare dinner advised the newspaper.
He remained jailed till Tuesday, when authorities lastly realized the error.
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The Coconut Creek Police Division’s arrest report mentioned the prepare dinner was recognized via Florida’s driver and automobile data database regardless that his beginning date was completely different than the fugitive’s.
Authorities in Palm Seaside County requested for assist figuring out the prepare dinner because the fugitive, police spokesperson Sgt. Scotty Leamon advised the newspaper.
It was not clear which company in Palm Seaside County made the request.
When police arrested him outdoors the Deerfield Seaside restaurant the place he labored, it was the primary time he’d been in bother with the legislation.
“I used to be on 24-hour lockdown,” he mentioned. “I lastly obtained out of the cell for an hour a day Saturday, Sunday and Monday. It was a little bit window, no TV. Nothing to do however simply stare on the partitions and attempt to keep heat.”
Oliveira mentioned he advised everybody they’d the improper man. “How may I be needed on a probation violation once I’ve by no means been arrested for something? It was a nightmare.”
Throughout his first look listening to, County Court docket Choose Phoebe Francois mentioned she was powerless to intrude as a result of the case originated out of Palm Seaside County.
On Monday, he employed legal professional Jose Castañeda, who filed a movement to have his shopper launched. He famous that the fugitive Oliveira weighed 213 kilos (97 kilograms) when he was arrested in 2017 on the housebreaking cost, whereas his shopper weighs lower than 150 kilos (68 kilograms). And he had no tattoos or felony historical past.
Earlier than a listening to could possibly be held, the Broward County Sheriff’s Workplace obtained the fingerprints for the fugitive and in contrast them to the prepare dinner’s.
“When it was decided that the fingerprints didn’t match, Oliveira was instantly launched from jail,” sheriff’s spokesperson Carey Codd mentioned.
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