Seminole County, Florida – A South Florida man was arrested after showing an AI-generated video to a store clerk at a Lake Mary store last month, according to the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office.
SCSO said in a release that the deputy was inside Academy Sports on Lake Emma Road when the suspect, Alexis Martinez Arizara, 25, approached him.
“(Martinez-Arrizara) claimed he witnessed multiple individuals getting into the deputy’s marked patrol car in the parking lot and submitted cell phone video as evidence,” the release states. “The video was about three seconds long and showed two people getting into a police car parked near the store.”
But when the deputy searched the patrol car, nothing had been sabotaged or stolen, investigators noted.
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Instead, the store’s surveillance footage showed that no one actually approached the police car during that time frame, and police later concluded that the cellphone footage was fabricated.
As a result, a warrant for Mr. Martinez-Arrizara’s arrest was issued and he was taken into custody in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Wednesday.
“Investigators also determined that Martinez-Arizara posted content related to the encounter to his social media accounts in an apparent attempt to gain attention and create viral content,” the release continues.
Martinez-Arrizara is currently charged with fabricating physical evidence, making false reports to law enforcement, illegally using a two-way communication device, and knowingly providing false information to a law enforcement officer regarding an alleged crime.
He will be extradited to Seminole County, where he will be held on $7,000 bond.
“The misuse of artificial intelligence to create deepfake videos is a growing concern, especially when targeting public safety professionals,” said Sheriff Dennis Lemma. “These fabricated videos can damage reputations, create unnecessary tension, and pose real safety concerns for the first responders who serve our communities. As this technology becomes more accessible, we will take these types of crimes seriously and take action to protect those targeted in our communities, including both civilians and the public safety professionals who work every day to keep our residents safe.”
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