SUNNY ISLES BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - A routine stop by Sunny Isles Beach Police officers led to the arrest of a woman for driving with a counterfeit license plate, leading to social media attention after a video of the interaction was posted online.
The incident, captured in cellphone video sent to 7News, has prompted the police department to clarify the circumstances surrounding the arrest.
Cecilia Mercado, 32, was pulled over by police officers for ignoring a “Right Turn Only” sign in a high-traffic area known for frequent accidents. The video showed the officer forcibly pulling her out of the car, Tuesday, after she didn’t cooperate.
“Please bring your supervisor now!” the man who was in the car with Mercado said in the video. “I feel threatened.”
Despite initially being stopped for traffic violations, the situation escalated when Mercado claimed to have “sovereign citizenship” and refused to comply with the officers’ request for her identification and insurance documents.
A video circulating online shows a portion of the interaction, missing the critical moment when Mercado rolled up her car window as officers were asking for her ID and insurance, police said. This led to the police legally taking her from the vehicle and placing her in handcuffs.
“She is not a United States citizen. They have no jurisdiction over you,” continued the visibly irate man. “You are going to get fired from your job and she’s going to get $250,000 for winning in court. If you want to play, I will see you in court.”
Footage of the arrest exhibited Mercado falling to the ground as officers continued to pull her out of the car. She appeared visibly shocked.
“Cessy, I’m sorry,” said the man.
The man behind the camera is Mercado’s boyfriend. He also claims to be a non-citizen national with “diplomatic immunity.”
“All you had to do was comply,” said one officer.
“I did, I gave you my…” said Mercado.
“No, you did not. No, you did not,” said the officer.
Mercado said she gave them her passport, but an officer stated that was not a driver’s license.
Officials said she was originally cited for a traffic violation and was then released, but further investigations revealed that she had a counterfeit diplomatic tag. This led police to put out a “be on the lookout” alert for Mercado, leading to her subsequent re-arrest.
“The City of Sunny Isles Beach Police Department remains committed to making our streets safe for drivers and pedestrians,” stated the department in a release.
7News was the only station there as Mercado was taken to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in West Miami-Dade. She faces felony charges related to the counterfeit license plate, with a bond set at $2,500.
Scott Huss, the man who recorded Mercado’s arrest, spoke to 7News outside of the jail.
“He unlocked the car, opened the car door, and grabbed Cessy by the arm,” he said. “Her immunity is 100% authentic. The specifics can’t be disclosed on public interview, however, the court case and the federal lawsuit will be public. They have no jurisdiction over you. She is not a United States citizen.”
Huss continued to comment on Mercado’s arrest saying, “Nothing should get to the point where somebody is dragging somebody out of a vehicle for a wrong left turn.”
The 32-year-old woman, born in New York, has since posted bond, and was released from jail on Wednesday, where 7News cameras captured Mercado walking out of jail.
“They are not fake. They are completely registered to my private trust and my vehicle, which by law, you are allowed to have a vehicle underneath the trust,” said Mercado.
According to the arrest report, the U.S. Department of State told police that Mercado’s car had a fake diplomatic license plate. When asked about her claims to diplomatic immunity, Mercado doubled down.
“I’m a non-resident alien, and there was nothing wrong with my plates. They have unlawfully detained me,” said Mercado.
Fresh off her bond out, the couple took another ride as they left TGK in a Mercedes Maybach with an unusual looking tag.
But before they could get home from jail on Wednesday afternoon, Mercado had another encounter with police, minutes after she appeared on an Instagram Live where she spoke to her fans from the backseat of the Mercedes Maybach.
“This is why you have to become a non-citizen national, so you don’t have to worry about paying taxes, and you get your business right,” said Mercado on social media.
The Maybach also had a diplomat-labeled license plate. Police stopped the car along the 300 block of Sunny Isles Boulevard.
Video posted by Only In Dade shows the driver of the Maybach being arrested for allegedly driving with a fake license plate.
Another video shows the second encounter with police from inside the Maybach , which was posted on social video Wednesday. It shows police, with their guns drawn, telling the driver of the Maybach to step out of the car. Police told 7News the driver didn’t have a driver’s license either.
The driver has been identified as 22-year-old Andres Lopez. He was taken to the Miami-Dade Police Department as authorities sorted out his identity.
Another video shows Mercado and her boyfriend stranded, with no ride, and speaking to police near where they were stopped a day earlier.
Mercado and her boyfriend said their diplomat license plates are legitimate, and they have lawyers who are prepared to take action against the police department.
“I look forward to sharing my story in court and not being treated like a savage ever again,” said Mercado.
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