ORLANDO, Fla. — Orange-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell announced Friday that no charges will be filed against six people arrested during protests tied to the former rainbow crosswalk near the site of the Pulse nightclub shooting.
Worrell said the cases involved arrests made after the Florida Department of Transportation removed the rainbow-colored memorial crosswalk on Orange Avenue last year.
The rainbow stripes had served as a tribute to the 49 people killed in the 2016 massacre.
According to Worrell, the crosswalk was painted over overnight in August 2025 after state officials ordered intersections and crosswalks cleared of what were described as distractions or political messaging.
Worrell said the crosswalk was removed without advance notice and without safety data being presented publicly to justify the decision.
Hours after the memorial was covered, protesters, including elected officials and community members, returned to the intersection and used chalk to restore rainbow colors.
Worrell said transportation officials removed the chalk multiple times before arrests were made.
The first arrest happened Aug. 29, 2025, when 29-year-old Sebastian Suarez was taken into custody. Worrell said no charges were filed in that case after prosecutors sent questions to the arresting trooper and did not receive a response.
Three more protesters were arrested Aug. 31, 2025, during a larger demonstration. They were identified as Maryjane Kristena East, Donavon Todd Short and Zane Ian Aparicio.
Worrell said multiple public officials were photographed chalking the same crosswalk in view of law enforcement but were not arrested, calling the situation selective enforcement.
Two additional arrests were made Nov. 23, 2025, involving people accused of again applying chalk to the same crosswalk.
Worrell confirmed Friday that prosecutors will not pursue charges in any of the six cases.
All six protestors were initially charged with criminal mischief for attempting to deface a traffic control device under Florida Statute 316.0775(1).
Worrell announced Friday that charges would be dropped, primarily because the state could not prove necessary elements for the charges.
Initially, protestors were facing third degree felony charges because the Florida Highway Patrol claimed the damage was worth more than $1000 dollars.
“We cannot prove that element. We cannot prove any damage at all,” said Worrell.
Worrell said a combination of factors led prosecutors to drop the case, including that her office could not find evidence that the crosswalk was defaced as required to satisfy the the statute. That’s despite the fact FDOT said they spent more than $3000 dollars to clear chalk from the crosswalk.
“A government agency’s election to send a cleanup crew does not establish that the surface was damaged. Chalk that dissolves in Florida rain is not damaged under any interpretation of that statute,” said Worrell.
Worrell noted, just 30 minutes after multiple protestors were arrested, rain washed away the chalk markings on the crosswalk.
She added that her agency could not get supplemental information, including a breakdown of costs.
“Normally when we have a case, we work hand in hand with the agencies, they provide us whatever information we ask for, and then we’re able to make prosecution decisions. This was very different. It was very difficult to obtain information, ”said Worrell.
Channel 9 reached out to both the Florida Highway Patrol and the Florida Department of Transportation for comment but did not hear back before news time.
The former Pulse nightclub site remains a focal point for memorial efforts as Orlando prepares for events marking 10 years since the shooting next year.
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