Man, 18, accused of vandalizing nearly $4,000 display alligator at The Falls

Gianny Sosa-Hernandez apologized for incident, police say

KENDALL, Fla. – An 18-year-old man was arrested Monday on accusations that he vandalized an expensive display alligator at The Falls shopping mall in Kendall.

Gianny Sosa-Hernandez, of Cutler Bay, faces a criminal mischief charge in connection with the March 30 incident.  

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According to an arrest report, Sosa-Hernandez was video recorded jumping over a wooden pedestrian barrier, grabbing the display gator and throwing it into a shallow pond.

Miami-Dade police said the teen pretended to wrestle the gator, slamming it into the water by doing an RKO move and later posted the video of the incident on social media.

In wrestling, an RKO is done by jumping into the air after approaching an opponent (in this case, the alligator) and then grabbing the back of the opponent's head before driving their face into the mat when they fall. 

Authorities said the gator, valued at $3,690, was damaged during the incident.

Police said a witness identified Sosa-Hernandez as the culprit from the video.

The teen confessed to detectives about vandalizing the display alligator and apologized for the incident, the arrest report stated.

He was then arrested and taken to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.