There’s been a lot of confusion and concern surrounding the unknown whereabouts of 74-year-old Gary Levin.
“I hope he’s out there, and there’s some miracle we find him alive,” said Donald Levin, Gary’s brother. Via WPTV.com
Gary Levin originally grew up in Philadelphia and was an auto body salesman before retiring to Florida. He loved cars and was able to stay connected to that world by becoming a Lyft driver.
On January 30, Levin went missing sometime late that afternoon. Authorities are still trying to connect the dots of what happened to him. His 2022 Kia Stinger was tracked via police and was found making its way up the state and eventually into North Carolina.
Levin wasn’t in the vehicle during this surprising turn of events, but 35-year-old Matthew Flores was.
Flores, who has an extensive criminal background, was eventually taken into custody in North Carolina. He’s being held on a $2 million bond and is being charged as a Florida fugitive for second-degree murder, possession of a firearm by a felon, and other infractions.
The timeline of events is being scrutinized during the investigation. It’s unclear if Flores was a passenger that Levin had picked up around 4 p.m. that day.
The case took a harrowing turn as a body was discovered in Okeechobee County on Saturday, in close proximity to where Levin dropped off his last documented passenger. Members of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement descended on the scene. It’s unclear at this time if those remains are Levin’s, as his disappearance is still being classified as a missing person’s event.
The likely next step is an autopsy to determine the identity of the remains, as well as the return of Flores to Florida.
Everyone, including members of Lytal, Reiter, Smith, Ivey & Fronrath, will remain plugged into any new developments surrounding this incident. If you know someone injured in a car accident, please call us at (561) 655-1990 to review the circumstances of their case.
