Overview

• Samuel Vasquez, 29, was arrested in Jacksonville on Sept. 12 on a Polk County warrant, extradited more than 200 miles, and held for 13 days, causing him to miss his daughter’s birth.
• Attorneys from the Joshi Law Firm secured his release by showing Polk authorities and the alleged victim that key identifiers—age, birthdate, height, weight, and appearance—did not match.
• All charges against Vasquez were dropped, and the alleged suspect, 41-year-old Samuel Vazquez, was later detained in Charlotte County awaiting extradition to Polk County.
• Senior partner Rajan Joshi called the case the most sloppy investigation he has seen in 25 years, and attorney Jonathan Vega said a simple photo comparison would have prevented the mistake.
• Reports note Vasquez had no criminal history, the alleged suspect was reportedly on probation, and local law-enforcement agencies declined or did not immediately respond to requests for comment.