DE SOTO COUNTY, Fla. — Deputies with the DeSoto County Sheriff's Office are looking for a truck that they claim is imitating a law enforcement car.
The vehicle has a green decal, red and blue flashing lights in its windshield, and the words "Booty Patrol" painted on the side.
In a post on social media, deputies say the "Booty Patrol" car has been appearing in multiple other counties, and they asked anyone who has been pulled over by the vehicle or has any information related to it to call the Sheriff's Office's Investigative Team at 863-993-4700.
"Your cooperation is crucial in helping us address this issue and ensuring the safety of our community," said the post.
A commenter on the post claimed the truck was his. Gabriel Luviano, whose Facebook profile does feature photos and videos of the truck and himself wearing a "Booty Patrol" jacket, says the vehicle is a show truck, and that he only uses it and flashes the lights when he's at truck shows and on private property.
Luviano's apparent brother, Jesus, also commented on the post, accusing deputies of targeting Gabriel "over some Hispanic expression" and claiming they had previously ticketed him over wheel lights that alternated red, white, and green after the colors of the Mexican flag.
"Multiple feds tried giving him tickets for being parked and on private property but have failed when a Sargent (sic) got called out," Jesus claimed.
Florida statutes prohibit vehicles that aren't police cars from having red, red and white, or blue lights that are visible from the front of the car. The law also does not allow drivers to have flashing lights with alternating colors either.
However, according to the blog Better Automotive Lighting, it is only a crime punishable by law if the driver of a car that violates those rules tries to stop or pull over another vehicle.
"If someone breaks these rules but doesn't try to stop another vehicle, it's considered a noncriminal traffic infraction. This means it's a violation of traffic rules, but it's not a crime," said the blog post.
This is why the post from the sheriff's office specifically asks to hear from anyone if they have been pulled over by the "Booty Patrol" vehicle.
