ARIZONA: Man falsely arrested after AI Technology flags him as suspect...

A Mexican national who endured nearly a year behind bars after what his legal team describes as a wrongful arrest driven by flawed facial recognition technology is now threatening a $3 million lawsuit against the City of Phoenix and Maricopa County authorities.

The case centers on Lorenzano Nunes, who was extradited from Mexico and jailed in connection with a 1998 cold case murder in Phoenix. Authorities initially hailed the arrest as a breakthrough in the long-unsolved killing, reportedly relying in part on facial recognition tools to link Nunes to the crime through an old photograph or similar identification process. Police touted the development publicly, but the charges were quietly dropped less than a year later, with prosecutors dismissing the case amid questions over the investigation's integrity.

Defense attorneys have argued that investigators used facial recognition to identify a supposed match—potentially an innocent lookalike—and proceeded with extradition and charges despite significant discrepancies. Nunes spent months in custody before being released and returning to Mexico, enduring what his representatives call a profound injustice stemming from overreliance on unreliable technology.

According to reports from ABC15 Arizona, Nunes is preparing to file suit, seeking $3 million in damages for the emotional trauma, lost time, and alleged violations of his rights during his prolonged detention. The threat of litigation highlights growing concerns about the accuracy of facial recognition systems, particularly in high-stakes scenarios like cold case revivals, where misidentifications can lead to extended wrongful imprisonment.

Phoenix police and Maricopa County officials have not publicly commented on the impending claim at this time. The episode adds to a series of documented incidents nationwide in which facial recognition has been linked to mistaken arrests, raising broader questions about safeguards, bias in the technology, and the need for independent verification before acting on algorithmic matches.

Legal experts note that while facial recognition can serve as an investigative lead, critics argue it should never form the sole basis for arrest or prosecution without substantial corroborating evidence. Nunes' case, if it proceeds to court, could further spotlight these issues in Arizona and beyond.

17GEN4.com