A Miami man was arrested with two counterfeit license plates while on the way to Guatemala.
An officer on patrol spotted a silver 2003 Honda CR-V pulling a blue 2009 Toyota Scion through the parking lot of the Okahumpka Service Plaza on the Florida Turnpike at around 11:40 p.m. Thursday, according to an arrest report from the Wildwood Police Department. Due to some difficulty reading the license plates, the officer conducted a traffic stop to speak with the driver, 59-year-old Oscar Arriaza.
A closer look at the vehicles determined they both had temporary license plates out of Massachusetts, which the officer read out to dispatch. Arriaza told him that he moved to Florida last year and had not yet gotten a Florida driver’s license. He added that he had gotten the tags that day, the report said.
When asked about registration, Arriaza stated he had titles for both vehicles. They were not registered because he was “going to Guatemala with the car.” Still, he then handed over two registration documents from Massachusetts for both vehicles, the report said.
At that point, the officer stepped away to verify the registration on both vehicles. Dispatch advised that they had no record for either out of Massachusetts. Instead, the Toyota was last registered in Florida and had expired on Feb. 26. The Honda was also registered in Florida and had expired on July 25, 2025, the report said.
Arriaza was next asked for the titles to both vehicles, which he stated were issued in Massachusetts and sent to him from a friend. This friend traveled a lot with him from Massachusetts to Guatemala, and he had asked for the plates. He ended by admitting he did not register the vehicles and provided the titles for them, the report said.
However, while trying to verify the plates, the officer noticed multiple discrepancies on the registration forms. A check with the Massachusetts State Patrol revealed they had no record of either license plate. They had only issued temporary tags that were valid for one week, the report said.
The forms also listed the VIN as the Vehicle “Information” Number rather than the Vehicle “Identification” Number. Additionally, the plate number was listed as “Plate Numbe,” the owner’s name was misspelled and the address listed was incomplete, the report said.
Arriaza was arrested on two counts of counterfeiting of license plates and fail to register motor vehicle. He was booked at the Sumter County Detention Center and released after posting $5,500 bond.