MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - A fitness influencer has been cleared of all felony charges after being accused of assaulting a Miami Beach police officer.
7News first brought the story in May 2025. A year later, the fitness influencer is sharing his side for the first time exclusively with 7News.
Armando Fogaça was arrested last year for a hit and run and aggravated battery on an officer. He was facing five felony charges.
Free and out of jail now, he tells 7News he knew from the moment the incident occurred that he had done nothing wrong.
“And I knew that I never struck the officer,” said Fogaça.
According to Miami Beach Police, motorman Anthony Guzman was on traffic duty on May 5, 2025 on Miami Beach’s Fifth Street when he attempted to stop Fogaça for a moving violation.
But after encountering Guzman, body camera footage shows Fogaça driving off with his behind him on his bike.
Police had initially said that during his exit from the scene, he “accelerated in the direction of the officer.”
“I just been struck by a vehicle,” said Miami Beach Officer Anthony Guzman on body camera footage in the aftermath of the incident.
The incident led to Fogaça serving nine months behind bars and agreeing to self deport back to his home country of Brazil.
But speaking to 7News on Friday, Fogaça claims the motorcycle did not come close to Officer Guzman.
“The motorcycle never touched his body, never,” said Fogaça. “I was passing by him. He reached on the motorcycle and he pulled really hard…I left because I got scared.”
He’s since been acquitted of all felony charges.
“Nine months suffering,” said Fogaça.
Fogaça states he had no idea Guzman hit the ground.
“Did you know that it was a cop in uniform? That it was an officer of the law when it was happening?” said 7News’ Sheldon Fox.
“I knew that,” said Fogaça.
“Even if he’s wrong, and he’s telling you, ‘Stop, stop, stop your motorcycle,’ you know he’s a cop, so why not just stop?” said Fox.
“That was a bad decision to leave. I should stop. I took the wrong decision to leave, but I should have stopped,” said Fogaça.
Moments after the incident, he and his wife wound up crashing on the MacArthur Causeway. Officers caught up with him afterward and made their arrest.
But before he was taken in, his wife, Valkiria, was hospitalized, and so was Officer Guzman, who had broken ribs.
Fogaça contends Guzman’s injuries must have come from him falling to the ground.
“I didn’t hit him,” said Fogaça.
While awaiting trial, Fogaça said he was offered a plea deal of five years in prison. He refused it.
“Does it make sense for you to take a plea for something that you haven’t done?” said Fogaça.
Fogaça spent six months in jail awaiting trial, then three months in federal lockup on an immigration hold that included a stint at Alligator Alcatraz before he was deported back to Brazil.
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