MIAMI (WSVN) - A Cooper City man accused of orchestrating a series of graffiti vandalism incidents across Miami-Dade County — including the defacement of the former Vitas building in downtown Miami and the I-395 overpass — has been arrested, police said.
Miami Police identified the suspect as Paul Mario Hoyos, 37, who investigators said is known by the tag name “TESOE.”
Detectives described Hoyos as the ringleader behind multiple large-scale graffiti cases that caused thousands of dollars in damages to public and private property throughout the city.
Hoyos was taken into custody around 2 a.m. Tuesday at Miami International Airport, according to arrest reports.
In bond court, he got a scolding from Judge Mindy S. Glazer for his alleged crimes.
“But you gotta stop it with the buildings. You are too old for this now and if you pick up a new law violation, you’re going to be locked up until your trial,” she said.
He faces multiple felony charges, including burglary of an unoccupied structure, criminal mischief of $1,000 or more, and trespassing at a posted construction site.
Investigators said Hoyos’ graffiti tag “TESOE” appeared on several high-profile landmarks, including the now-demolished Vitas building at 100 South Biscayne Boulevard and the I-395 overpass, both in one of Miami’s most visible downtown corridors.
Detectives linked Hoyos to the crimes through his Instagram account “T3SOE”, which featured photos and videos of the tagged properties, as well as posts connected to a group known as “004 Connec,” a graffiti crew that, police say, has been tied to multiple vandalism cases.
“They saw that this person was putting out that he was the one tagging ‘TESOE’ on several locations just to make a name for himself,” said Miami Police Officer Michael Vega.
One video posted in December 2023 allegedly showed Hoyos spray-painting “TESOE” in red letters on the side of the Vitas building, investigators wrote.
Police said they also used digital location data to place his phone near several of the vandalized sites at the time of the crimes.
“At the exact block, at the late hours of the night which matches up with his videos that he posted on his own social media depicting him committing the crime,” said Miami Police Detective Sandoval.
A witness representing the building’s ownership estimated that the graffiti caused about $10,000 in damage to the property.
“The demolition of the Vitas building and the passage of time did not diminish our resolve,” said Chief Manny Morales. “Our detectives’ unwavering commitment has removed a serial vandal from our streets, and we will continue pursuing all those involved.”
But Hoyos’ attorney, Allison Friedin, who is a former prosecutor, said the arrest is an injustice.
“It’s impossible to vandalize garbage. The [Vitas] building was set for demolition. It’s not like he went to Saks Fifth Avenue, judge, and spraypainted the windows,” she said.
But detectives say his crime went beyond an abandoned building. They say he also tagged signs and billboards.
Detectives also discovered that Hoyos was operating an unlicensed business called Dade Wear at a Northwest Miami-Dade address, police said.
Upon his arrest, investigators said he wasn’t cooperative.
“He didn’t want to talk to us, but based on the information we have and going into his social media, we had enough information to identify him and know who he is,” said Vega.
Hoyos is expected to be on house arrest when he bonds out of jail.
The arrest marks a significant breakthrough in what police described as a multi-incident investigation, and additional arrests are expected as the probe continues.
Anyone with information about related vandalism incidents is urged to contact the Miami Police Department or Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS (8477).
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