Hearing officer upholds school‑zone speed camera citation for vehicle registered to Mimi Auto Sales LLC

A Saint Cloud hearing officer upheld a school‑zone speed‑camera citation tied to a vehicle registered to Mimi Auto Sales LLC and ordered the company to pay a $100 citation plus an $89.49 administrative fee. The officer said the order will be mailed and that the 30‑day payment period begins when the order is signed.

Captain Ed Mateo of the Saint Cloud Police Department testified that he reviewed video and photographic evidence showing a red Mercedes with Florida registration PN166W, registered to Mimi Auto Sales LLC, traveling northbound through the Canoe Creek K‑8 school safety zone at 8:36 a.m. on May 7, 2025. "I reviewed the video and photographic evidence and found probable cause to go ahead and issue the citation," Mateo said. He told the hearing the vehicle was clocked at 34 miles per hour by a fixed LiDAR unit in a posted 20 mph school zone, and that the LiDAR passed operational checks on May 6, 2025, and on May 7, 2025. Mateo also said he completed supervised training through Vira Mobility, the vendor that runs the camera system.

Carlos Salgado, owner of Mimi Auto Sales LLC, told the hearing he did not know who was driving the vehicle at the time and suggested it could have been an employee, a detailer or a customer. "We never kept the log who took the vehicle," Salgado said. He said he planned to keep records going forward and asked how to proceed. Hearing Officer Smith explained that, under the law cited by city staff, an owner who was not the driver can file a sworn affidavit identifying the driver so the city may pursue the individual who was operating the vehicle.

City staff recommended a finding of violation for driving more than 10 mph over the posted limit in a school safety zone on a regularly scheduled school day and requested the $100 citation plus an $89.49 administrative fee. The hearing officer said the city had proven the violation by substantial evidence and ordered payment within 30 days of the written order, which the officer said would likely be signed the next day and then mailed to the business address Salgado provided (101 West Oak Ridge Road, Suite B, Orlando, Florida).

At the end of the session the hearing officer and staff discussed scheduling: staff said they prefer grouping similar camera cases at future hearings so uniformed officers presenting evidence can return to patrol sooner. The officer indicated he would prepare a concise order finding the citation upheld and providing the payment instructions.

No formal motion or vote by an elected body occurred; this was an administrative adjudication by a special magistrate hearing officer based on the evidence and testimony presented at the hearing.