Background: A Five Guys restaurant location in Miami, Fla. (Google Maps). Inset: Jose Chacon Martinez (Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation).
A Florida man, accused of initiating a confrontation with strangers over sneakers he suspected to be counterfeit, now faces jail time.
Jose Chacon Martinez, 34, has been charged with attempted murder following allegations that he attempted to stab an unidentified man during a dispute over the authenticity of the man’s sneakers. According to an arrest report obtained by Law&Crime, Martinez approached a group of younger individuals on December 17, 2025, inquiring about the legitimacy of one man’s Air Jordan sneakers, which he believed to be fake. Martinez pointed out what he thought was an anomaly, stating he had “never encountered a shoe where the name had been erased.” The owner of the sneakers explained it was due to “rain, sweat, and normal wear.”
The exchange escalated, with the alleged victim suggesting Martinez should leave. This allegedly agitated Martinez, leading him to threaten, “I’m going to go get my gun.” He headed towards his blue scooter as if to depart, but warned the group, “I’ll be back, you shall see.”
Minutes later, the alleged victim reported feeling a “tug” on his shoulder, expecting to see a friend, but instead finding Martinez supposedly brandishing a large kitchen knife. The startled victim quickly began recording the encounter on his phone.
As the victim captured the scene on video, Martinez allegedly swiped at him with the knife, knocking the phone to the ground. When the victim attempted to retrieve his phone, Martinez purportedly lunged again, aiming to stab him in the face but missing.
Subsequently, Martinez entered the passenger side of a red vehicle driven by 28-year-old Gerdenson Rodriguez Ordonez, a DoorDash driver. Martinez allegedly made another attempt to attack the man as he continued to record the unfolding events.
Ordonez told police that he did not know Martinez, but had seen Martinez earlier on Dec. 17, 2025. Martinez allegedly told Ordonez that “Uber and DoorDash drivers were talking about him” at the Five Guys, so Ordonez drove to that location “to clarify the matter,” saying that “he does not have any issues with anyone.”
For allegedly letting Martinez into his vehicle and then driving away after witnessing him trying to stab someone, Ordonez was charged with being an accessory. He is in jail on an immigration hold and has a hearing scheduled for Jan. 20.
Martinez was identified by police as the suspect days later, and he turned himself in to police on Wednesday. During a court appearance on Thursday, a judge ordered that he be held at Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation without bond; he is also being detained on an immigration hold. His arraignment is scheduled for Feb. 9.
