A bogus temporary license plate led to a felony arrest in Wildwood.
Jose Rafael Cora Rodriguez, 28, of Summerfield, was riding as a passenger in a white 2000 Ford F-150 pickup at about 11 p.m. Saturday on the Florida Turnpike when the vehicle was pulled over because it was towing a trailer with no lights or license plate, according to an arrest report from the Wildwood Police Department. The temporary license plate on the truck was also suspicious.
Rodriguez, whose friend was driving the truck, claimed the vehicle belonged to his brother. A check of the truck’s vehicle identification number revealed the registration was not valid. The temporary license plate was deemed to be a fake.
Rodriguez was arrested on a felony charge of possession of a counterfeit license plate. He was booked at the Sumter County Detention Center on $2,000 bond
The driver was ticketed for pulling an unregistered trailer. The truck was towed from the scene of the traffic stop.
