A man was being investigated for DUI on a Florida road, cops say. Then he cracked a beer
Florida deputies working uniformed patrol saw something amiss on a Cape Coral road just before midnight on Feb. 8, according to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.
As per a police report obtained by the Miami Herald, when their car approached Gleason Parkway, “something caught their eye.”
It was a black 2018 Mercedes-Benz C300 sedan parked in the right-hand lane facing southbound. There was no traffic at the time and the vehicle had its lights on, blocking all traffic in that side of the road.
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“The vehicle was just sitting there,” reads the report, which adds that deputies crept behind the car and tried to determine if it had been abandoned.
Inside, 40-year-old Michael Sereda was sitting alone in the front passenger seat. “The offender was not observed in operation of the vehicle involved nor was he involved in a traffic collision,” notes the LCSO complaint.
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Serada, who refused to give a breath sample, had the odor of an alcoholic beverage “emanating from his facial area,” as well as “bloodshot, watery eyes and a slurred, delayed, repetitive speech pattern,” said the affidavit.
“Multiple open alcohol containers were observed between Sereda’s legs and in the front cup holders. ...The suspect was unable to speak based on his level of intoxication.”
Officers from the Cape Coral Police Department were called to assist. While waiting for backup, a deputy observed Sereda reach between his legs and grab an unopened beer, and crack the tab. The deputy attempted to grab the can from Sereda when he began to resist and pull away.
Once the individual was out of the car, Standardized Field Sobriety Evaluations could not be completed due to the suspect being “unable to support his own weight, and continuously, actively resisting deputies.”
After a brief investigation, the deputy found probable cause to arrest the man. Charges included driving under the influence and resisting an officer without violence.
While struggling with deputies trying to put restraints on him, Serada received a minor abrasion to his left eyebrow, right knuckle and right elbow. He was taken to Lee Memorial Hospital as “a disorderly subject” and required the assistance of security guards and a wheelchair.
Hospital staff medically cleared Serada, who was transported to the Lee County Jail in “apparent good health and without further incident.”
Back on the road, before the Mercedes was towed, the deputy took photographs of multiple open containers of Michelob Ultra in the cup holders of the car’s center console — in addition to several open boxes of Bud Light 24 packs, the report concludes.
According to court records, Sereda was released on $2,500 bond.
