‘I saw a shiny thing’: Cop who met woman on set of ‘Bad Monkey’ TV show placed her license plate on watch list so he could pull her over to say hello
Lamar Eliseo Roman (Monroe County Jail).
A Florida police officer has been arrested and dismissed from his position after allegedly using law enforcement databases to track a woman he met on the set of the Apple TV series Bad Monkey.
Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Lamar Eliseo Roman, 28, was taken into custody on Tuesday. Authorities charged him with misuse of law enforcement computers, networks, and electronic devices. Roman, who had served less than a year with the agency in the Florida Keys, was immediately terminated following the incident.
Investigators say Roman accessed the databases for personal reasons outside the scope of his duties as a deputy.
Sheriff Rick Ramsay addressed the situation in a statement, emphasizing transparency: “I am committed to keeping this community informed of significant events that occur in this agency — good and bad.”
Court and law enforcement documents obtained by WPLG, a local ABC affiliate, detail how the alleged misconduct began. Last month, Roman was providing security on the Bad Monkey set, starring Vince Vaughn. A bus delivering extras arrived, and Roman allegedly directed inappropriate comments at one of the women. Witnesses reported that he whistled and made catcalls.
According to the report, he loudly remarked, “Oh my god, why didn’t nobody tell me we were bringing models to set?” The deputy and the woman exchanged phone numbers, but she did not respond to a follow-up Instagram message. Roman allegedly told investigators he wanted her name and number “just in case I pull you over someday.”
The situation escalated when Roman reportedly used the Florida Driver and Vehicle Information Database and the Florida Crime Information Center/National Crime Information Center to locate her—systems strictly limited to law enforcement purposes. He allegedly added her license plate to a “hotlist,” which triggers an alert whenever law enforcement license plate readers detect the vehicle.
On February 19, the hotlist alert was triggered while Roman was on duty. Authorities say he pursued the woman at speeds exceeding 70 mph, passing multiple vehicles and forcing a truck to swerve, before pulling her over. The woman later told police she felt intimidated by his remarks, including “Oh, I thought you had a boyfriend,” and was alarmed that he was able to find her through law enforcement systems.
Roman reportedly told her, “I told you I’d find you and pull you over. And I was hoping your boyfriend was in the car so I can pull him out and give him a hard time.”
During an interview with investigators, Roman admitted to misusing the databases and expressed regret. “I know it’s stupid. I just apologize for you guys to have to do this… I saw a shiny thing and teasing and all that, and I knew that when I put that I was like ‘f—,’ and that’s why I just stopped right after,” he said.
Roman was booked into the Monroe County Jail but has since been released on bond. His next court appearance is scheduled for March 26.
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