MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — Two Miami-Dade men were arrested Monday after authorities said they allegedly locked the thermostat inside their home while their 76-year-old relative remained inside as temperatures reached as high as 112 degrees on Friday.
Deputies with the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said Federico Caso, 45, is the victim’s son, and Peter Sevastopoulos, 44, is her son-in-law and Caso’s brother-in-law.
Deputies said the three lived together in a Miami-Dade home, though its location was not disclosed in the agency’s publicly released arrest report.
The victim told investigators that Caso and Sevastopoulos “intentionally” set the home’s air conditioning to 80 degrees whenever they left for work.
The men also placed a remote lock on the thermostat that prevented the woman from lowering the temperature, according to the report.
The report states that the Department of Children and Families described their living situation as an “environmental hazard.”
Deputies said that while the thermostat was locked at 80 degrees and the woman was inside the home, a National Weather Service advisory was in effect for Miami-Dade County.
They said temperatures were expected to reach as high as 112 degrees, with “peak hours of heat spanning from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.”
The woman told investigators she does not have a vehicle and cannot drive, leaving her at home for most of the day, according to the report.
The report states that the woman claimed she was not allowed to use kitchen appliances, including the refrigerator, microwave, stove or oven. She said she was limited to a small mini refrigerator and a shelf in her bedroom closet for dry food, according to the report.
The woman told investigators that surveillance cameras throughout the home were monitored by Caso and Sevastopoulos, the report states.
She said she would be “scolded loudly” and cursed at if they saw her doing something they did not allow, according to deputies.
Investigators said the woman also claimed that she feared leaving her bedroom.
Deputies said the woman told them that Caso and Sevastopoulos threatened to evict her if she did not begin paying rent. The report states there was no legal lease and that the home had once been owned by the woman.
An investigator attempted to interview the men, however, Sevastopoulos said both had retained attorneys and wanted to invoke their Miranda rights before they were arrested, according to the report.
Investigators said the men “intentionally committed acts that could reasonably be expected to cause physical and/or psychological injury to the woman.”
Jail records show both suspects are each facing one count of physical or psychological abuse of an elderly or disabled adult.
As of Tuesday morning, they were being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where their bonds were listed as “to be set.”
Copyright 2026 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.
