Florida man accused of torching car of then-girlfriend, who’s also his cousin

Miami-Dade police have apprehended a 37-year-old man from Hollywood, accusing him of setting a car ablaze in April. Interestingly, the car in question belonged to the man’s then-girlfriend, who also happened to be his cousin.

According to an arrest report, the suspect, Melvin Alain Cintron, was captured on camera on April 29, igniting a Jaguar XE sedan in front of a residence situated along Northwest 120th Street and Fifth Avenue, near North Miami. Police noted that he left a cellphone behind at the scene.

In the aftermath of the incident, investigators swiftly established that the vehicle belonged to Cintron’s girlfriend and cousin. However, their attempts to interview her in the ensuing months proved futile until Monday.

During her interview with authorities, she revealed that she initially provided false information, claiming that the car caught fire while she was driving home. She cited fear of reprisals from Cintron, who compelled her to put the phone on speaker whenever she conversed with investigators, according to the report.

Subsequently, following the issuance of a warrant on Monday, law enforcement officers located Cintron outside a business east of Hialeah and arrested him at gunpoint on Wednesday.

As of Thursday afternoon, Melvin Alain Cintron was in custody at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. He faces charges of second-degree arson and third-degree grand theft, with a bond set at $12,500.