After months of court delays and a canceled trial, a voyeurism case from last spring involving a former Broward County veterinarian accused of secretly recording a Florida Atlantic University student has concluded. The defendant entered a guilty plea and was sentenced to probation, which includes a temporary ban from all campuses instead of jail time.
The case, which stemmed from Feb. 11, 2025, was resolved after a scheduled December trial was canceled on Nov. 20, 2025, when suspect Barion Madrigal entered a guilty plea that the court accepted.
Madrigal was then sentenced to six months’ probation with adjudication withheld, meaning the court found the defendant committed the offense but did not formally enter a conviction, allowing the individual to avoid a permanent criminal record if probation is completed.
As a condition of probation, Madrigal is prohibited from contacting FAU student Jason Schwartz from last spring or entering any FAU campus for the duration of the probation period and was ordered to undergo a psychosexual evaluation, a measure typically used to assess supervision levels and determine whether further restrictions are necessary during probation.
The FAU Police officer stated in the arrest Affidavit on Feb. 11, that Schwartz reported seeing a cellphone positioned beneath a restroom stall with the screen facing upward.
Schwartz told officers he could see his “entire image” reflected on the phone’s screen and asked the person holding it to stop.
Police records state Madrigal silently pulled the phone away without responding. Schwartz then left the restroom and reported the incident to FAUPD.
When officers confronted Madrigal, they asked to view the contents of his phone. He refused, stating that he had been taking “inappropriate” photos of himself and explaining that he was uncomfortable handing over the device because of those images.
He claimed in the arrest records that his phone had fallen while he was reaching down to retrieve it from his pocket.
After reviewing the victim’s statement and Madrigal’s explanation, FAU police determined there was probable cause to arrest him for voyeurism under Florida Statute 810.14, which prohibits secretly recording or observing individuals in places where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy.
Madrigal, who previously worked at Broward Avian & Exotic Animal Clinic, was arrested on Feb. 11, 2025, and entered a not guilty plea the same day. He was released on a $5,000 surety bond, with conditions that included “no contact” with the victim and any FAU campus.
Court records show Madrigal’s attorneys later filed two motions to compel the production of digital evidence from his phone in April and July. The requested phone data was not introduced during court proceedings, as it was argued that the material could be relevant to determining guilt.
Fast forward to Nov. 20, where six-month probation began after the court’s acceptance of Madrigal’s guilty plea, and will remain in effect through its completion.
Emily Ives is the Political Reporter for the University Press. Email her at [email protected] or DM her on Instagram @Ivesemilyy for more information on this and other stories.
