{"id":311445,"date":"2026-06-18T06:51:26","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T06:51:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/311445\/"},"modified":"2026-06-18T06:51:26","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T06:51:26","slug":"miami-beach-man-accused-of-slashing-giant-fifa-world-cup-inflatable-soccer-ball-wsvn-7news-miami-news-weather-sports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/311445\/","title":{"rendered":"Miami Beach man accused of slashing giant FIFA World Cup inflatable soccer ball – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports"},"content":{"rendered":"

MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) – A man was arrested Tuesday after police said he slashed a giant inflatable FIFA World Cup soccer ball displayed in Miami Beach, causing it to rapidly deflate.<\/p>\n

Jorden Stephen Perozo, 34, is charged with felony criminal mischief causing more than $1,000 in damage, according to a Miami Beach Police arrest report.<\/p>\n

Investigators said a witness called police on Tuesday morning after seeing a man on an electric scooter slash a giant inflatable FIFA soccer ball representing Uruguay near 71st Street and Rue Vendome.<\/p>\n

During 7News reporter Samantha Sosa\u2019s live shot on Monday night<\/a>, the large inflatable could be seen slowly deflating as she signed off.<\/p>\n

The witness, Abdul, who also works at 7News, told officers he saw the ball as it deflated and the suspect quickly leaving the area.<\/p>\n

\u201cI saw the ball slowly deflating,\u201d said Abdul.<\/p>\n

Abdul said he had just gotten off work and was waiting for a friend at the Normandy Isles fountain when he spotted a man near the ball.<\/p>\n

\u201cA man on a scooter rolls up and pulls something from his pocket. I can\u2019t see it quite clearly, but then he slashes at the giant balloon and starts to ride his scooter away,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He initially didn\u2019t realize that the inflatable had been slashed.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt first I thought he maybe just punched it or wanted to feel it,\u201d said Abdul.<\/p>\n

He added that he didn\u2019t think much of it until he heard two women saying they saw that man carrying a knife in his hand. The following morning, he called Miami Beach Police.<\/p>\n

Authorities said Miami Beach\u2019s Real-Time Crime Center managed to track the suspect through city surveillance cameras from the scene to a silver Nissan sedan parked near 81st Street and Hawthorne Avenue.<\/p>\n

Officers located Perozo and conducted a show-up identification, during which the witness positively identified him as the person who vandalized the display, according to the report.<\/p>\n

\u201cI received a call saying they found a potential suspect and it was the same man that I saw on the scooter earlier,\u201d said Abdul.<\/p>\n

Detectives said surveillance footage showed Perozo arriving on his scooter near the inflatable before fleeing moments later. <\/p>\n

Investigators also matched his clothing and backpack to images captured by city cameras.<\/p>\n

Miami Beach Detective Pablo Gonzalez told the court he was informed the damage to the inflatable was evaluated at approximately $3,125.<\/p>\n

After being taken to the Miami Beach Police Criminal Investigations Unit, Perozo initially told detectives he had been intoxicated and could not remember what happened. <\/p>\n

Police said he later confessed to slashing the inflatable after being advised of his rights.<\/p>\n

The balloon slashing occurred just hours after 62,764 fans filled the stands of Miami Stadium<\/a> to watch Uruguay play against Saudi Arabia in a match that ended in a draw.<\/p>\n

What was quickly becoming a popular backdrop for Uruguayan fans to show support for their team is now gone.<\/p>\n

\u201cShout out to Team Uruguay. We can\u2019t have their ball in our shot anymore but I hope there\u2019s less events like this for the rest of the World Cup,\u201d said Abdul.<\/p>\n

On Tuesday afternoon, a group had made their way to the fountain in hopes of taking photos with the inflatable only to find out it was gone. Despite that, they brought a Uruguayan flag to show their spirit.<\/p>\n

\u201cI saw the ball, I said, \u2018Oh, we\u2019re gonna come at another time to take pictures.\u2019 We came today and the ball is gone,\u201d said Uruguay fan Tamara Ovalle.<\/p>\n

The damaged display was one of 48 giant inflatable soccer balls installed throughout Miami Beach ahead of the FIFA World Cup, which is expected to bring about 1 million visitors to South Florida.<\/p>\n

Miami Beach Commissioner Joe Magazine told 7News city officials are not sure if they\u2019ll be able to replace the ball before Uruguay\u2019s next match on Sunday against Cabo Verde.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhether we\u2019re able to get the ball back or not, we\u2019re gonna have a great activation for Uruguay,\u201d said Magazine.<\/p>\n

As for Perozo, he was already out on bond for an unrelated crime at the time of this incident so he is expected to appear in court again, Wednesday.<\/p>\n

Copyright 2026 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.<\/p>\n

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