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Man arrested at Pulse site by FHP troopers during rainbow crosswalk protest released from jail
New signs near the Pulse crosswalk warn, "Defacing Roadway Prohibited" and "No Impeding Traffic."
ORLANDO, Fla. - The 28-year-old man who was arrested on Friday night at the Pulse nightclub crosswalk has now been released from jail. He returned to the crosswalk site on Saturday afternoon, where he was greeted with cheers of appreciation and gratitude.
Orestes Sebastian Suarez was handcuffed and placed in the back of a Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) cruiser during ongoing protests over the removal of rainbow markings at the site.
Why was the man arrested?
What we know:
Video shows Suarez walking across the crosswalk on Friday before being stopped by troopers.
New signs near the Pulse crosswalk warn, "Defacing Roadway Prohibited" and "No Impeding Traffic."
According to an official arrest report from the FHP, Suarez drove up to the site and parked near the Dunkin Donuts before getting out of his vehicle.
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Suarez then walked up to a bucket of chalk and began using the chalk to color the bottom of his shoe, according to officials. Suarez then began to walk across the crosswalk, creating chalked shoe marks across the area.
FHP says Suarez was then arrested on charges, including damaging property and criminal mischief.
The trooper that made the arrest said Suarez knew he could not chalk the sidewalk with his hands, which is why he used his shoe.
Suarez was booked into the Orange County Jail and made his first appearance on Saturday morning.
Orestes Sebastian Suarez (Credit: Orange County Jail)
A judge dismissed Suarez's case after they said there was no probable cause.
Suarez arrived back at the site on Saturday with his wife, where they were greeted with cheers of appreciation and gratitude for his support and advocacy.
The backstory:
The rainbow crosswalk at the Pulse memorial commemorates the 49 people killed in the 2016 nightclub shooting. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) recently painted over the crosswalk, prompting demonstrators to repaint it. After FDOT covered the paint again, protesters began using chalk instead of permanent colors.
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FDOT, Orlando continue standoff over Pulse crosswalk
FDOT troopers re-painted the rainbow Pulse crosswalk black in Orlando for the third time in less than a week under new state laws and orders from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. The rainbow crosswalk in downtown Orlando near the site of the deadly Pulse nightclub shooting – at the time, the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history – was repainted black overnight, a day after people defiantly re-painted it in rainbow colors. People were back at the crosswalk appearing to use chalk to color over the black paint. Brandon Wolf, Pulse Survivor and National Press Secretary for Human Rights Campaign joins FOX 35's Garrett Wymer live via Zoom to give his input on the standoff between the State of Florida and the City of Orlando and the battle brewing over the rainbow crosswalk at the Pulse Nightclub site.
What's next:
The Pulse memorial crosswalk is among several across the state that have been repainted in nonstandard colors. Gov. Ron DeSantis has said all crosswalks must conform to standard markings to avoid political messaging.
The Source: This story was written based on information shared by viewer-submitted video, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) in an arrest report.