He’s accused of robbing a bank on Facebook and giving away the loot. Was he insane?
The man accused of robbing a bank in Miami — and then giving away the loot while standing on the trunk of a car in front of a crowd in Miami Beach —will claim insanity at his trial, according to court records.
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Circuit Court Judge Ursula Ungaro signed an order last month for psychiatrists or psychologists to examine Enrique Antonio Gámez and determine whether he may have been insane on the day in January when he allegedly stole $11,000 from the bank and then drove to South Beach where he threw the money in the air while atop the car trunk as the crowd rushed to pick up the falling dollar bills.
The judge’s order followed a motion by Gámez’s lawyer, Robert Erickson, in which he notified the court he intended to use an insanity defense at trial.
Erickson’s motion prompted Ungaro to issue her order.
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The trial, which had been set for May 30, has been delayed until at least August.
This is the second time the court has tried to establish if Gámez is mentally fit to stand trial.
An initial medical examination concluded that Gámez, 35, was mentally fit for trial. He was arraigned and pleaded not guilty.
The case drew international attention because it unfolded on Ocean Drive in South Beach and was streamed live on social media.
It began when Gámez allegedly abducted the driver of a private taxi service and forced him to take him to the bank in Brickell’s financial sector south of downtown Miami, where he allegedly stole $11,000. Then, authorities say, Gámez ordered the driver to take him to South Beach.
This story was originally published June 11, 2017 at 2:16 PM with the headline "He’s accused of robbing a bank on Facebook and giving away the loot. Was he insane?."