Belle Isle officer resigns after DUI arrest, police chief says
A Belle Isle Police Department officer resigned Monday after he was arrested for driving under the influence in Volusia County, according to Chief Laura Houston.
Ivar Ruiz, 33, was arrested around 3:00 a.m. near DeLand, taken to Volusia County jail and released on a $1,500 bond, online records show. The arrest report was not immediately available.
“I am very disappointed to learn of this arrest,” Houston said in a statement. “As law enforcement officers, we are held to the highest standards of conduct whether on duty or off duty.”
Ruiz was previously arrested for DUI by a Volusia County deputy in 2019, court records show.
He entered a plea agreement, was placed on 12 months probation and ordered to take an alcohol education safety course, according to court records.
Ruiz was hired by the Belle Isle Police Department in 2017 and worked as a patrol officer, Houston said.
He was initially placed on leave without pay after his latest DUI arrest, but submitted his resignation on Monday, which Houston said she accepted.
The police department will conduct criminal and internal investigations, Houston said, and the final reports will be made public.
