MIAMI – A civilian working for the Miami Police Department is facing a felony criminal mischief charge after police accused him of vandalizing a parking gate while in uniform and driving his city-issued car Monday.
The suspect, 40-year-old Fernando Luis Mulen, is listed in his arrest report as a building manager.
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According to MPD, the incident happened just before 9 a.m. at the River Landing Shops & Residences, located at 1400 NW North River Drive in the city’s Allapattah neighborhood.
The arrest report states that surveillance video showed Mulen, who was driving his city-issued Ford Fusion, in line behind another vehicle that was having difficulty paying to exit the parking garage.
Police said the CCTV footage showed Mulen, wearing a city uniform and MPD hat, getting out of his car and “forcefully” lifting the gate, pushing it outward and breaking it, allowing vehicles to leave the garage. They said he caused up to $5,000 in damage to the gate in the process.
Mulen left the garage but later came back just after noon, police said, but the building’s internal system flagged his city car’s license plate and would not let him in the garage.
An officer working an extra-duty job at the shopping center approached Mulen, who had been driving with a woman whose identity was redacted from the police report. Police said there were also three cats in the back seat.
The woman told police that she witnessed Mulen breaking the gate to let cars out, according to the report. It’s not clear whether the woman — or the cats — were authorized passengers in the city-owned vehicle.
Mulen was taken to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where he was being held on a $5,000 bond as of Tuesday morning.
A city of Miami spokesperson confirmed Mulen works for the police department. Local 10 News has also contacted MPD seeking comment.