ST. PETERSBURG, FL — The owner of restaurant and karaoke lounge Lala was arrested Tuesday morning on 18 counts of possession of child pornography, St. Petersburg police said in a news release.
Lucas Herraiz, 42, was arrested just before 8 a.m. after a search warrant on his home and business, police said. Two electronic devices were seized from his home.
Herraiz is founder and managing partner of Lala St. Pete, co-founder of Lala Tampa, and owner and CEO of the Lala karaoke franchise, according to his LinkedIn profile.
A staff member who answered the phone at the St. Pete location told Patch on that the company doesn’t have a comment about his arrest. There was no answer at the Tampa restaurant on Tuesday afternoon.
Detectives began investigating Herraiz after receiving a tip from the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program.
Lucas Herraiz (St. Petersburg Police Department)
Investigators determined that he downloaded multiple videos of child sexual abuse material, police said.
The state attorney’s office is requesting a high bond because of the number of charges and Herraiz’s “ability to flee,” according to his arrest affidavit.