Man Carves ‘Catch Me If You Can’ Invite on Police Car, Cops RSVP Promptly

Enderlin Leonce {BSO}

A man was arrested after allegedly etching his own name in a Broward Sheriff’s Office police car. 

According to records, on April 29 the Margate Police Department received reports of property damage that had occurred on Southwest 1st Street. Upon arriving at the scene, officers discovered a marked BSO vehicle with significant damage to the driver-side hood. 

The report shows that the damage included a medium-sized hole etched with “The name is Enderlin Leonce,” apparently inflicted with a metal tool.

Witnesses described the suspect, unsurprisingly, later identified as Enderlin Leonce, 33, of Margate, as a Black male approximately 6 feet tall. He was last seen wearing a cream-colored shirt and dark grey shorts and carrying a plastic shopping bag. 

Deputies in the area made contact with Leonce at his home, where he reportedly admitted to the act, citing personal grievances and a desire to be returned to Haiti as motives. 

During the interview, Leonce made several spontaneous utterances: “I did it, I committed a crime and I should be going to jail. I was revolting because he wouldn’t take me back to Haiti,” and “Take me to the officer’s house so I can tell him I did it.”

Despite his confessions, a witness at the scene could not definitively identify Leonce, complicating the identification process. However, when deputies made contact, Leonce was wearing a blue shirt and shorts matching the initial description given by witnesses. He was also carrying metal joint pliers with evidence of green paint transfer—consistent with the tool used in the vandalism and the paint on the BSO cruiser. 

The damage to the vehicle is estimated at approximately $1,000 in repair costs.

Given Leonce’s distressed mental state, he was transported to Imperial Point Hospital for evaluation. He continued to acknowledge his actions while under care, persistently stating, “I messed up the cop’s car, and I should be going to jail for that,” “I hit the car,” and “Why aren’t you taking me to jail for that?”

Leonce was released from the hospital and turned over to the Broward Sheriff’s Office without further incident. He was later transported to the Broward County Main Jail.

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