In an unexpected turn of events in Miami Beach, Peter Scott Parker, CEO of the American Building Group, has been charged with two felonies after allegedly taking an $80,000 air compressor from a construction site in a parking-related dispute. Parker, a 65-year-old from Vero Beach, was arrested last Wednesday but has since bonded out of the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, 7News detailed in their coverage of the incident.
Miami Beach Police claim the construction equipment was hitched to Parker's truck and driven away, causing damage to the gated area's track in the process. The incident, which occurred just before 1 a.m. earlier today, was captured in a photo by a worker who later provided the evidence to authorities. Parker attempted to avoid 7News cameras upon his release from jail.
The theft occurred at a condo on the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and 16th Street, where Parker owns a property. The compressor was part of the equipment used for concrete restoration at the building and had been left behind a locked gate by Ti Con Building System, the construction company handling the restoration. According to 7News, which Anthony Son, owner of Ti Con Building System, confirmed after reporting the compressor as stolen, it was later found at a home in Virginia Gardens.
Parker's defense, articulated by his attorney, Arthur Jones, suggests the act wasn't malicious but rather a result of frustration due to an "ongoing civil dispute with the association" about parking the equipment in Parker's spot, according to crimewatchmiami. Jones conveyed that after arriving from Vero Beach and finding the compressor in his parking space again, Parker moved it to a location approximately 11 miles away.
Prosecutors, however, weren't swayed by this explanation. In bond court, it was stated that this could not be considered a civil matter as Parker had no permission to remove the property. Despite this, Parker was released without having to pay bond and is due back in court on Feb. 9.
