A viral video on social media captured a man apparently repairing a car in a Bayamón shopping center parking lot, but then stealing the rearview mirror. The Puerto Rico Police arrested the suspect, Ángel M. Meléndez Ferrer, 44, in the Villa Esperanza community of Toa Alta.
Meléndez Ferrer faces charges of illegal appropriation of a motor vehicle part and aggravated damage. The incident occurred on Wednesday, September 2, in the afternoon, at the Plaza del Sol shopping center in Bayamón. Agent Fransheska Negrón of the Stolen Vehicles Division in Bayamón investigated the case and consulted with prosecutor Gustavo Vélez, who determined that charges should be filed.
The evidence was presented to Judge Juan Portell of the Bayamón Court, who determined that there was cause for arrest and imposed a $15,000 bond, which Meléndez Ferrer did not pay, and he was therefore booked and admitted to the Bayamón Correctional Complex 705. According to authorities, Meléndez Ferrer approached a parked car, stole one of its rearview mirrors, and the incident was recorded on video and widely shared on social media.