MONROE COUNTY, Fla. – A late-night attempt to play the role of a lost tourist landed a 34-year-old Homestead man in handcuffs on April 27, 2026.
Jose Roberto Munoz Garcia now faces charges of grand theft of a vessel, resisting arrest, and providing a false name to law enforcement after a suspicious encounter near Mile Marker 55 turned into a foot chase through the Florida mangroves.
The incident began around 9 p.m. when a resident reported a man arriving on their property via a personal watercraft (PWC).
According to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, Munoz Garcia told a witness he had been on a tour and gotten lost before abandoning the craft and walking away.
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Finding the story unlikely, the resident alerted authorities. Deputies eventually spotted Munoz Garcia walking along U.S. 1 on Grassy Key, at which point he reportedly fled into the thick brush.
He was apprehended shortly after his brief escape into the mangroves. The initial witness confirmed Munoz Garcia was the same man who had docked at the private residence.
Further investigation revealed the Jet Ski had been stolen from a local rental business. Detectives also noted that Munoz Garcia matched descriptions of a suspect tied to several other recent crimes, including the theft of two other watercraft, a side-by-side vehicle, and an attempted trailer theft.
Records show Munoz Garcia is no stranger to the legal system, with a criminal history involving burglary and motor vehicle theft across multiple counties.
While he is currently held in jail, the investigation remains active. Local detectives indicated that additional charges are likely as they connect him to the string of recent thefts in the area.
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