Luis Alvarez, one of the men who dived into the ocean at Boca Grande to help after a 9-year-old child was bitten by a shark earlier this month, was detained a few days later for driving without a license. He is currently in the Collier County Jail, facing deportation.

Alvarez, 31, of Lehigh Acres, was stopped at 1:30 a.m. on June 14 while driving on West Main Street in Immokalee without his headlights turned on. According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office arrest report, he was driving a gray SUV with a Rhode Island tag.

When questioned for his license, Alvarez pulled up a photo of his Employment Authorization Card on his phone. He told the arresting officer in Spanish that he had been in the nation for two and a half years and had never obtained a driver’s license, according to the report.

Alverez was caught for driving without a license and given a warning for not having his headlights turned on.

The arrest report states that Alvarez is from Boaco, Nicaragua. According to court records, he is being held in jail by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He is expected to appear before a judge on July 9.

Leah Lendel suffered severe injuries after being attacked by a shark a few feet off the beach in Boca Grande, Gasparilla Island. Her hand was nearly severed, but quick action on the scene and an airlift to Tampa General Hospital enabled surgeons to reattach it. She is recuperating.

Raynel Lugo, who also assisted in the rescue, told Fox4 News, which originally reported the Alverez arrest, that Alvarez got into the ocean first to scare the shark and help Lendel’s sister.

“He jumped in that area to bring her out when I was assisting Leah,” Lugo stated in the Fox4 interview. “He dived deep underwater, not caring about the shark. He got quite deep. He probably confronted a shark.”

Body camera footage from a Lee County Sheriff’s Office Deputy who responded to the report shows the three males standing next to the lake while EMS treated Leah.

Alvarez, speaking via an interpreter, informed first responders it looked like an eight-foot shark. Experts then speculated that it was a bull shark, one of the most ferocious sharks in Florida waters.

According to court records, Alvarez has no previous arrests in Collier County. He was arrested on similar allegations four times in Lee County, beginning in December 2023. He paid penalties or had adjudication denied by three judges. In the most recent case, the judge issued a D6 suspension on June 23, indicating that Alvarez had not paid his fine and was unable to apply for a license.

In 2024, Alvarez is represented by attorney Jose Calvo. He couldn’t be reached for comment.