Police have arrested a man accused of scamming a Pinecrest homeowner out of a jet ski, allegedly telling the victim to "come find me" when he was confronted.
The incident, which was caught on video, happened when the homeowner put the green jet ski up for sale on OfferUp and was visited by a possible buyer back on Aug. 16.
Police said the buyer was 19-year-old Alexander Rafael Paulino, who gave a fake name, agreed to buy it for $12,500 and wrote a personal check. However, he said he didn't have a way to transport the jet ski and would come back the next day with a truck.
The owner deposited the check through mobile banking and confirmed the money was available, officials said.
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The next day Paulino allegedly returned with a white Ford truck, took the jet ski, the title, and some accessories, and left.
A camera at the home captured the suspect, who was wearing a blue shirt, loading it up.
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But days later, on Aug. 22, the seller's bank notified him that the check was fake and his account was overdrawn by $12,500.
The seller tried to contact Paulino multiple times. He claimed he was out of town and would fix the problem, said the jet ski was in a storage unit and that he'd forgotten the access code or number, along with stating on multiple occasions "come find me," an arrest report details.
Also, the fake check had a routing number from a Minnesota bank and branding from one in North Dakota, police said.
"This statement, along with his actions, reinforces the calculated nature of his scheme, as he showed no intent to resolve the matter or return the victim's property," the arrest report says.
Paulino was charged with organized scheme to defraud, among other charges. He was out on bond on strongarm robbery and theft charges at the time of the jet ski incident.
Authorities said the case is a good reminder for sellers to be extra careful when accepting personal checks. Or if someone tells you they have the cash in their checking account, go to their bank with them have them make the check out to cash, and then collect the cash or a cashier’s check at the bank.
Anyone with information is asked to call Pinecrest Police at 786-397-3009.
