By Boca Vibe
Man Claims To Be Firefighter To Avoid Arrest, Fails
A West Palm Beach man was arrested early Sunday morning after he allegedly interfered with a DUI investigation and falsely claimed to be a firefighter when deputies tried to detain him. Angel Benitez was taken into custody just after midnight on April 12. Read more at BocaVibe.com.
- According to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were conducting a traffic stop on a vehicle suspected of being involved in a DUI incident when they encountered Benitez.
- Benitez allegedly claimed to be a firefighter and told deputies that he was responding to an emergency call at the scene.
The deputies, however, became suspicious of Benitez’s story and began to investigate his identity. They discovered that Benitez did not have any affiliation with the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue department and had no valid firefighter ID.
- Benitez was subsequently detained and arrested for interfering with a DUI investigation and making false statements to law enforcement.
- He was taken into custody without incident and is currently being held at the Palm Beach County Jail on $5,000 bond.
The arrest highlights the importance of honesty and cooperation with law enforcement during traffic stops. Deputy Chief William Godwin stated, “We take incidents like this very seriously and will not tolerate individuals attempting to deceive us or interfere with our investigations.”
- Benitez is scheduled to appear in court on April 19 to face charges related to the incident.
- The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office urges anyone with information about the incident to contact them at (561) 434-7000.
The arrest also serves as a reminder of the consequences of making false claims or attempting to deceive law enforcement. Benitez’s actions could have put himself and others at risk, and he is now facing serious charges as a result.
Official city info: City of Boca Raton.
Source: Original Report