Teen accused of vandalizing nearly $4,000 display alligator appears in court

Gianny Sosa-Hernandez, 18, faces criminal mischief charge

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – An 18-year-old appeared in court Tuesday, a day after he was arrested 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.  

Miami-Dade County Judge Renatha Francis found him eligible for pretrial services Tuesday, with an alternate bond of $5,000. He was ordered to stay away from the mall. 

According to an arrest report, Sosa-Hernandez was video recorded last month 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.

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.

Sosa-Hernandez's arrest comes less than a week after he was arrested at Miami Southridge Senior High School for allegedly attempting the same RKO wrestling move on his principal. The incident with the principal was also recorded on cellphone video and posted to social media.

"You got to find something else to do," Francis told Sosa-Hernandez during Tuesday's court hearing. "I mean, really. You know this is just -- you're just going to keep coming back here and keep being a media sensation for all the wrong reasons." 

The teen faces charges of battery on a school official and interference with an educational institution in connection with the incident at his high school.


 


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Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com.

Liane Morejon is an Emmy-winning reporter who joined the Local 10 News family in January 2010. Born and raised in Coral Gables, Liane has a unique perspective on covering news in her own backyard.