Man Claims To Be Firefighter To Avoid Arrest, Fails

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 that had been reported for suspected drunk driving. When they approached the vehicle, the driver, later identified as Angel Benitez, became belligerent and refused to cooperate with the deputies.

• Benitez allegedly claimed to be a firefighter from the Boca Raton Fire Department and told the deputies that he was on his way to respond to an emergency call.
• The deputies were not fooled by Benitez’s claim, but he continued to resist arrest and attempted to flee the scene in his vehicle.

Deputies eventually managed to subdue Benitez and take him into custody. He was charged with resisting arrest, obstructing an officer, and providing false information to a law enforcement officer.

• Benitez is currently being held at the Palm Beach County Jail on a $5,000 bond.
• He faces up to five years in prison if convicted of all charges against him.

The Boca Raton Fire Department has confirmed that Angel Benitez is not a member of their department and has no affiliation with the fire service.

“We take incidents like this very seriously, as they undermine the public’s trust in our agency,” said a spokesperson for the Boca Raton Fire Department. “We will continue to cooperate fully with law enforcement agencies to ensure that individuals who pose a threat to public safety are held accountable.”

Official city info: City of Boca Raton.

Source: Original Report