A 29-year-old man from Southwest Florida was apprehended with a firearm after he allegedly attempted to meet with what he believed to be a 13-year-old, officials reported. Enrique Miguel Santamaria of Lehigh Acres was taken into custody by Miami-Dade Police Department at their Midwest District station in Doral.
Beginning on January 8, the investigation unfolded as an undercover detective, impersonating a young teen, engaged Santamaria on a "social media app," initiating conversations about "school." As per the arrest report obtained by Local 10 News, Santamaria inquired if the detective, posing as the underage girl, wanted to be picked up.
Fueling the concern, Santamaria told the undercover agent, who had disclosed being "probably 2 young for you," that being young was "ok if you are," detailed by the authorities. He proposed they meet for breakfast, with subsequent exchanges between Santamaria and the purported teen turning increasingly explicit. Local 10 News cited from the arrest documents that Santamaria shared "into detail" his sexual fantasies.
According to the police, Santamaria arranged for a clandestine meeting involving the girl ditching school to join him for an appointment at a car wash, a location he suggested for its seclusion. Carrying a loaded gun and magazine within his waistband, he was instead met by detectives. An unsettling confession followed, where Santamaria admitted his intention to meet a 13-year-old and his consumption of child sexual abuse material, said Detective Andre Martin in an interview with Newsbiondello.
Prior to this affair, Santamaria confessed to having a sexual relationship with a 13-year-old girl at the age of 23, a relationship that reportedly spanned three years. He faces charges of traveling to meet a minor and possession of a weapon during the commission of a crime. As of his latest court appearance, Santamaria's bail was set at $12,500. Whether he will face additional charges of child pornography remains undecided, yet as Martin indicated, the investigation is still active and may lead to further charges.
