5 UM, FIU students cuffed in Key West during Fantasy Fest weekend: court records
Key West’s popular Fantasy Fest extravaganza ended last weekend with at least four University of Miami and one Florida International University students behind bars for a plethora of crimes — including fights, driving under the influence and selling drugs.
Fantasy Fest is a historic, often risqué, 10-day Halloween festival that dates back to 1979. In previous years, it could amass crowds of over 60,000 people that enjoy parties, events and a parade with an average of 40 floats.
READ MORE: What happens when 60,000 people hit Key West streets for Fantasy Fest? Take a peek
Every year, a few arrests can be expected, as is common with large holiday events like the Spring Breaks in Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale. This year, on Saturday and Sunday, at least five students were among those in cuffs:
- Stephanie Arce, a 21-year-old FIU student, was charged with driving while under the influence.
- Christopher Youssef, a 19-year-old University of Miami student, was charged with possession of stolen property.
- Marcus Hosfield, a 21-year-old University of Miami student, was charged with resisting an officer.
- Lucas Forwood, a 19-year-old University of Miami student, was charged with fraud, obstructing a criminal investigation and resisting an officer.
- Eric Ressler, a 21-year-old University of Miami student, was charged with drug possession.
The Miami Hurricane, the university’s student newspaper who first reported the arrests, spoke to Key West Police Spokesperson Alyson Crean who confirmed hundreds of officers from multiple agencies — including some mounted on horseback, FBI officials and “spotters” positioned on roofs of buildings — were deployed for the festival.
A Monroe County Sheriff’s Office deputy spotted Arce driving and swerving between lanes, according to an arrest report. After being pulled over, the deputy smelled alcohol on her and saw she had glassy eyes. She tested at nearly two times the legal alcohol limit. She was also driving with an unknown amount of people in the car, who took an Uber home after she was handcuffed.
Arce’s social media identified her as a FIU student.
Key West officers patrolling the festival spotted a woman falling to the ground and Youssef in a punching motion, an arrest report read. They quickly arrested him before helping the 43-year-old woman. She had a laceration on her head and was “bleeding profusely.”
However, she told officers she didn’t want to press charges while being taken to Lower Keys Medical Center for treatment. Officers later learned from a video that the woman was the aggressor and instigated the incident.
When officers asked for Youssef’s ID, he gave them two fakes. That decision landed him in handcuffs, authorities said.
Youssef’s listed occupation was student, jail records read.
The Miami Hurricane did not name Hosfield but reported he was yelling at a group of officers, calling one a racist, and refused to step away from them.
Ressler was discovered by a bouncer selling drugs in the bathroom of Red Garter Saloon, his arrest report read. He still had a white substance under his nose when Key West officers got to him, which tested positive for cocaine. About 3.3 grams of cocaine and cocaine residue were found in his possession.
Ressler’s social media identified him as a UM student.
Forwood was harassing passerbys when two Florida Highway Patrol troopers stopped him, according to his arrest report. The troopers said he smelled of alcohol and he had bloodshot eyes. When they and Key West officers asked to see some ID, Forwood gave them a fake. Authorities decided to charge him just for the false ID.
Forwood’s social media identified him as a UM student.
All five students had their first court appearances scheduled for early November.
A previous version of this story incorrectly identified one of the students as attending FIU’s medical school. She’s an undergraduate student.
This story was originally published October 30, 2025 at 11:26 PM with the headline "5 UM, FIU students cuffed in Key West during Fantasy Fest weekend: court records."
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