High Springs pair arrested after man allegedly directed juvenile to damage van

Staff report

HIGH SPRINGS, Fla. – Christian A. Morales, 18, and Isaiah Ramos, 16, were arrested after Morales allegedly directed Ramos to throw rocks at a van, causing significant damage.

The High Springs Police Department had previously published a photo of the pair, asking the public for help in identifying them. According to the original social media post, the image was captured at about 1:00 a.m. on February 17 as the subjects were walking along U.S. Hwy 441 near Civic Center Park.

On February 17, a business owner called law enforcement to report that a vehicle owned by his business had been damaged, with the damage estimated at $2,500.

After the suspects were identified, a HSPD officer reported that Ramos said he didn’t know anything about the business until Morales told him he wanted to get revenge on the business owner; he said Morales had framed it as personal resentment against the owner, not the business. Ramos reportedly said that both of them picked up rocks from the Civic Center and then walked to the business, and then Morales told him to throw rocks at the vehicle while acting as lookout.

The officer reported that surveillance video shows Morales and Ramos hiding behind signs when traffic approached the business, and Morales appeared to be acting as a lookout.

Morales has been charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Because the charge involves a minor, his criminal history was not posted; he has been released from the jail.

Ramos has been charged as a juvenile with felony property damage. Because he is a juvenile, no further information is available.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.