A man identified as Mathew Scott Flores has been arrested after a first-degree murder complaint has been brought against him in connection with the unfortunate death of Gary Levin, a 74-year-old Lyft driver.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement conducted a press conference where they provided more details about the arrest in Boynton Beach on Wednesday.
Who is Mathew Scott Flores?
Mathew Scott Flores is 36 years old. Flores is accused of first-degree murder, robbery with a firearm, and gun possession by a felon with a prior conviction, in addition to the first-degree murder charge.
On January 30, Palm Beach Gardens resident Gary Levin went missing after picking up a passenger in Delray Beach and dropping off a passenger in Okeechobee in his red Kia Stinger.
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Authorities revealed that Flores was captured in North Carolina while operating Levin’s Kia Stinger several days after Levin went missing and in the midst of a large neighborhood-wide search. Police in North Carolina participated in a nearly 50-mile high-speed chase on the state’s highways before finally catching up with and arresting Flores after pushing him off the road.
Law enforcement officials have confirmed that Flores, who was eluding law enforcement in connection with a different homicide case in Central Florida, was the passenger in question. Investigators with the police officials believe that Flores fatally shot Levin inside the vehicle after arriving in Okeechobee.
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In a rural area of Okeechobee, special agents found Levin’s remains on February 4. Authorities called his death “cold, senseless, and entirely gratuitous” and described it as a brutal disposal. According to the FDLE, Flores stole “roughly three or four different vehicles” while attempting to avoid detection. In August, Flores was subsequently returned to Florida from North Carolina. His arraignment will take place in Okeechobee County.
