A Florida man who told police he was speeding because his sports car "goes fast" was hit with a felony charge this weekend after a passenger in the vehicle claimed he had ignored the patrol car siren of an in-pursuit deputy, the local police department has said.
Gabriel Molina, age 29, of Miami, was behind the wheel of a 2016 Ferrari and reached speeds of 100 miles per hour (mph) while allegedly fleeing from Upper Keys police sergeant Robert Dosh on Sunday.
According to the Monroe County Sheriff's Office (MCSO), which released a statement yesterday on Facebook, Dosh was at Mile Marker 87 at 2:13 a.m. when he was told a vehicle had been seen driving recklessly traveling southbound "at a high rate of speed" down the center lane.
The Ferrari zoomed past the sergeant at roughly 75 miles per hour but accelerated to 100 mph after the officer activated his lights and siren. The speed limit in the area is between 45 and 50 mph.
As Dosh radioed other deputies to report the Ferrari's location, Molina allegedly turned off his driving lights. He was captured after stopping at a nearby gas station, the MCSO release said. Molina was standing in front of the Ferrari and there was a female in the passenger seat.
The suspect allegedly admitted to speeding but denied intentionally fleeing from the police officer. According to the MCSO, Molina said: "The car is a Ferrari and it goes fast."
Despite his story, police said the female passenger admitted Molina had seen the sergeant's lights and heard the siren. She claimed she had told the driver of the Ferrari to slow down. Molina was taken into custody without further incident and transported to jail. The female passenger in the car was not charged.
Inmate records posted online by the Florida police department confirmed Molina is now facing one felony count of fleeing and eluding a law enforcement officer with their lights and siren active. His job was listed as "manager" and his arraignment was scheduled for May 7.
According to the Miami Herald newspaper, the driver has been issued nine traffic ticket violations spanning from 2013 to this year. In one, he was caught speeding at 100 mph in a 55 mph zone, it reported, adding that he has paid more than $2,000 in speeding-related fines to date.
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