Mayoral candidate sentenced in 2012 for battery

A Tamarac mayoral candidate was charged with battery after a car accident and sentenced to probation in 2012.

The State Attorney’s Office would not release Elvin Villalobos’ criminal records Monday, saying a court order would be required to access the documents. The spokeswoman cited a state statute that allows the records of adult criminal history to not be made public if they are sealed or expunged.

Seeking to succeed retiring Mayor Harry Dressler in the November election are Commissioner Michelle Gomez, Gerald Heller and Villalobos. An initial fourth candidate, Claudia M. Gomez, accused by Michelle Gomez for being set up to run to create voter confusion, has dropped out of the race.

“I’m not hiding it, but it’s something I would like to put in the past,” Villalobos said of the incident.

Records obtained by the South Florida Sun Sentinel show that on Aug. 20, 2012, when he was living in Hialeah, Villalobos was arrested by the Florida Highway Patrol on charges of battery and careless driving. Records show adjudication was withheld.

Villalobos said he cut off by a driver on Interstate 595 near Davie and hit the car from behind.

He said the other driver came out of his car “and started screaming. I accidentally touched the face of the other person while defending myself. I got arrested for that.”

Villalobos said he was sentenced to six months probation. He said he went through the process to get the records sealed in 2017 because “people take things out of proportion.”

People who want their records sealed must have had adjudication withheld on certain

kinds of offenses. Records can be expunged if charges were declined or dismissed.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement website lists a number of reasons under state law for possible denial of getting a record sealed such as a prior adjudication of guilt for offenses, including DUI charges, and violent offenses.

After the 2012 incident, Villalobos installed video cameras in his car.

“I’m not getting into this again; there’s no way,” he said.