New evidence reveals that a Venezuelan politician arrested after allegedly leaving the scene of a three-vehicle crash that left a man dead and a woman hurt in Miami had run a red light, and the deceased victim actually had a green light, Miami Police said.
Dashcam video from the third car involved contradicted the initial police report, which described that the victim, 29-year-old Junior Eugene, was the one who ran a red light.
Gilber Caro, a Venezuelan politician and three-time political prisoner, was charged with leaving the scene of a crash involving death in the incident that happened around 3:40 a.m. Monday, records showed. He will now be facing new, unspecified charges, police said.
According to an arrest report, the 50-year-old Caro was driving a 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe westbound on 8th Street approaching Southwest 42nd Avenue and Eugene, who was driving a 2013 Hyundai Sonata, was going southbound on Southwest 42nd Avenue approaching Southwest 8th Street.
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Caro allegedly hit Eugene, and the Sonata then collided with a third vehicle and a palm tree, according to that arrest report. Footage from the scene showed the vehicles heavily damaged.
City of Miami Fire Rescue responded and found Eugene dead at the scene, while a woman who was driving the third car was transported to Coral Gables Hospital in stable condition.
Caro fled the scene on foot, leaving the victim and his vehicle abandoned, police said. Caro did not render aid or call for assistance prior to fleeing, the report said.
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His name and phone number, however, were found on a food order on a paper bag of restaurant Moshi Moshi, police said. He also received a text from the registered owner of the Chevrolet Tahoe he was driving about a sushi order and asking him where he was.
Hours after the crash, at around 7:00 a.m., Caro contacted the owner of the vehicle and told her he was involved in the accident that took place earlier that same day that involved her vehicle, according to the report.
Caro asked her to call 911, and he was arrested at 9:20 a.m. before he was booked into jail.
The arrest report said Caro is a Venezuelan citizen but has an address in Miami.
Venezuelan political party Voluntad Popular posted on their “X” account about his arrest.
“We have been informed that Gilber Caro, former political prisoner and deputy elected in 2015, was involved in a traffic accident in the last few hours in the United States and is in the custody of authorities in that country after what happened," the post read. "Given that these are events in full development, we are waiting for more information about the case, understanding that the United States is a country in which there is the rule of law and due process to clarify what happened. We will inform you of any news about this case.”
