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 Authorities, Deputies Were Called to the Scene

The incident occurred at approximately 11:45 PM on April 11, when Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office deputies received a report of a vehicle operating erratically on I-95 near the Boca Raton area. Upon arrival, deputies observed a vehicle that was swerving in and out of its lane.

• Deputies attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver allegedly refused to pull over.
• The driver then claimed to be a firefighter from the Boca Raton Fire Department and asked if he could use his fire truck’s lights to aid in the investigation.

Benitez’s False Claim Was Quickly Discredited

Deputies became suspicious of Benitez’s claim after he failed to provide any identification or proof of being a firefighter. A search of his vehicle revealed no signs of fire department equipment or uniforms.

• The driver was then asked to step out of the vehicle, where deputies discovered that he had been driving under the influence.
• Benitez’s blood-alcohol content (BAC) was found to be over 0.15%, exceeding Florida’s legal limit for DUI.

Arrest and Charges

Benitez was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Palm Beach County Jail, where he was booked on charges of resisting arrest, driving under the influence, and providing false information to law enforcement.

• Benitez is currently being held on a $5,000 bond.
• He is scheduled to appear in court on April 19 for his arraignment.

Fire Department Responds to Incident

The Boca Raton Fire Department released a statement saying that they were not aware of any firefighter being involved in the incident and that Benitez’s claim was “completely false.”

“We take incidents like this very seriously, as they can put our firefighters and the public at risk,” said a spokesperson for the fire department.

Official city info: City of Boca Raton.

Source: Original Report