Man faces felony for vandalizing Bay of Pigs monument, police say

MIAMI — Miami police arrested a 27-year-old man for allegedly vandalizing a well-known South Florida monument.

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According to the Miami Police Department, officers responded to the Bay of Pigs Monument, located at 806 SW 13th Ave. in the city’s Little Havana neighborhood, on Wednesday after a city parks employee was alerted to the monument being damaged.

The monument, which has been in place since 1971, is owned by the city.

Investigators said that after reviewing surveillance footage, they found that the vandalization occurred on Sunday night when a man was seen breaking the monument.

That man has since been identified as Jean Carlo Rojas.

Police said the impacted part of the monument, which was described as “the gray missile,” suffered damages that would cost $1,000 to repair.

As officers were retrieving the surveillance footage, they realized the suspect was still in the area, standing on the sidewalk near the monument, and quickly took him into custody.

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Official documents identify Rojas as a construction worker who is currently homeless.

He is facing a felony charge of criminal mischief on a memorial or historic property.

According to jail records, Rojas was already out on felony bond for a separate case in which he was charged with battery on a police officer, firefighter or corrections officer and resisting an officer without violence.

As of Thursday morning, he was being held behind bars at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center with bond listed as “to be set.”

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