SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — A Lake Worth Beach man in Puerto Rico was arrested after investigators determined he used an artificial intelligence-generated deepfake video to file a false crime report with the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, authorities announced Wednesday.
According to investigators, the incident began on March 24 when a Seminole County deputy was inside a retail store in Lake Mary when he was accosted by a man who claimed to have seen several people getting into a patrol car with deputy markings in the parking lot. The man showed the sergeant a short cellphone video that appeared to show two people getting into a patrol car.
Deputies immediately went outside to check the vehicle and found no signs of anything being wrong with the vehicle or missing anything. A subsequent review of the store’s surveillance footage showed that no one approached the police car at the time the man described.
Detectives later determined that the three-second video shown to the deputy was fabricated and that the alleged incident never occurred. Investigators identified the person who provided the video as Alexis Martinez Arizara, 22, of Lake Worth Beach.
A 22-year-old man born April 21, 2003, was arrested after investigators say he used an AI-generated deepfake video to falsely report a crime involving a marked Seminole County Sheriff’s Office patrol car. (Seminole County Sheriff’s Office)
The sheriff’s office said Martinez-Arizala also posted content related to the encounter on social media, apparently to gain attention and create viral engagement.
A warrant for Martinez-Arizara’s arrest was issued on March 27, according to a news release. He was located and arrested April 8 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, by officers assigned to the U.S. Marshals Task Force on unresolved Seminole County charges, according to a news release.
Martinez-Arizara is charged with tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, a felony, and two misdemeanor counts of falsely reporting a crime to law enforcement and knowingly providing false information to a law enforcement officer regarding an alleged crime. Bail will be set at $7,000 upon extradition to Seminole County.
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Sheriff Dennis M. Lemma said the incident highlights the growing challenges posed by the misuse of artificial intelligence, especially when targeting public safety professionals.
“These fabricated videos can damage reputations, create unnecessary tension and pose real safety concerns for first responders serving our communities,” Lema said. “As this technology becomes more accessible, we will take this type of crime seriously and take action to protect those targeted in our communities.”
Officials said the investigation highlights broader concerns about emerging technology, false reporting and the strain such incidents place on law enforcement resources and public trust.
