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 authorities, Benitez was stopped by Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office deputies for suspicion of driving under the influence (DUI) after they observed his vehicle swerving on the road.
- Benitez allegedly became belligerent and resisted arrest, claiming he was a firefighter with the Boca Raton Fire Department.
Deputies from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office were able to verify Benitez’s identity as a resident of West Palm Beach, but not as a member of the Boca Raton Fire Department. Despite this, Benitez continued to claim he was a firefighter in an attempt to avoid arrest.
- The deputies then called for backup and eventually took Benitez into custody after he became more aggressive and refused to cooperate with their investigation.
- Benitez was subsequently charged with resisting arrest, obstructing an officer, and providing false information to law enforcement.
Boca Raton Fire Department officials confirmed that Angel Benitez is not a member of the department and has no affiliation with it. The fire department stated that they take incidents like this seriously and will cooperate fully with any investigation by law enforcement.
- The arrest was made possible thanks to the quick thinking and professionalism of the deputies involved in the incident.
- Deputy Chief, Paul Kowalczyk, praised the deputies for their bravery and dedication to keeping the community safe.
This incident serves as a reminder that providing false information to law enforcement can have serious consequences. Residents are encouraged to be honest and cooperative with deputies during any interaction.
Official city info: City of Boca Raton.
Source: Original Report