Intimidation, coercion, imagination and more from Detective Baluja's bag of tricks.

Looking back at the Blanton Harris traffic accident back in 2003 we notice that Detective Jorge Baluja exhibited some rather interesting traits in his handling of the accident investigation. First intimidation, lets look at the definition:

"intimidation-to make timid or fearful, frighten; especially : to compel or deter by or as if by threats"

Remember when Chris Marshal (the bike shop owner) came out after the accident and showed the Detective the letter from the Florida Department of Transportation (made out to Carlos Alvarez of all people!) which stated that curbside parking was permitted on NW 7th ave from 79th street north to the Golden Glades interchange?


What did the detective tell him? The good detective told the man to get back to his store otherwise he was going to arrest him for OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE! That would be a textbook example of intimidation.

Next, coercion. Again, lets first look at the definition:

"coercion-the act of coercing; use of force or intimidation to obtain compliance, force or the power to use force in gaining compliance, as by a government or police force."

Once again, going back to the traffic incident and how Detective Baluja dealt with Jakeem Atwell when he wouldn't adopt Detective Baluja's account of how the accident happened. When Mr. Atwell disagreed with Detective Balujas version of events, Baluja told the boy that if he didn't start telling the truth, he was going to take him down to the juvenile detention center! See it my way OR ELSE! Once again, a clear example of coercion.

Now, imagination. From Websters dictionary:

"imagination- the act or power of forming a mental image of something not present to the senses or never before wholly perceived in reality, creative ability, a creation of the mind; especially : an idealized or poetic creation, fanciful or empty assumption"

HOLY SMOKE! Do the people over at Websters know Baluja?! I mean that definition fits the detectives investigative skills to a T! Remember how he imagined that parked car making an illegal U-turn? "Fanciful or empty assumption", that's right on the money! DAMN! That makes Baluja 3 for 3! I'll have to suggest to the people over at Websters dictionary that they should have a photo of Jorge next to the word "imagination"!


All that was nearly 6 years ago, there's no way those characteristics have made it into Detective Baluja's most recent cases, specifically the Bernardo Barrera mortgage fraud case, right? After all, you would think he learned to put all that aside by now. Once again, WRONG! Based on what I'm being told, intimidation, coercion and imagination are all characteristics that are alive and well with Detective Baluja. Isn't it amazing what people will tell you when they think you're about to cart them off to jail Jorge? Then when you can't coerce or intimidate them into saying EXACTLY what you want, why not take some liberties with their statement and start making $hit up? Thats exactly what the good detective did. Nice work Jorjito.

Tomorrow we're going to Jorge's house! Even better, lets see if the pride and joy of Carlos Alvarez's Mortgage Fraud Task Force can properly execute the mortgage docs for his own home refinance! Can you imagine if he screwed that up?