Man tied to Lyft driver slaying charged in separate case

Associated Press

MIAMI (AP) — A man who police say was driving the car of a dead South Florida Lyft driver has been charged with murder and other counts in a separate case. Records show a Hardee County grand jury indicted Matthew Flores on Tuesday on a first-degree murder charge. The indictment relates to the Jan. 24 fatal shooting of 43-year-old Jose Carlos Martinez in Wauchula. Police were actively searching for Flores in that case by Jan. 30, when Lyft driver Gary Levin went missing after dropping off a customer in Okeechobee. Flores was later spotted driving Levin’s red 2022 Kia Stinger in North Carolina, and officials say Flores was arrested after a chase through three counties.