FWC Division of Law Enforcement Weekly Highlights For Cases In Brevard County

FWC OFFICERS ARREST subjects for BUI

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following report highlights some cases the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission handled in Brevard County over the past week, but does not include all actions taken by the Division of Law Enforcement.

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Officer Marroquin was on patrol when he saw a vessel returning to a boat ramp. The officer initiated a vessel safety inspection and saw alcoholic beverages in the vessel.

During the safety inspection, the operator showed signs of impairment and was asked to perform seated field sobriety tasks. The operator performed poorly and was arrested for BUI. He was then transported to the Brevard County Jail where he refused to submit to a breath sample.

Officers Kearney and Dubose were on patrol when they saw a man fishing at a local waterway. The officers conducted a fisheries inspection and discovered the man was in possession of undersized mangrove snapper. A records check revealed the man had received a warning the previous week for undersized fish. A citation was issued for the offense.

Officer Maslo was on patrol when she conducted a fisheries inspection of a man fishing under a causeway bridge. The inspection revealed the man was in possession of three undersized mangrove snapper. A citation was issued for possession of undersized mangrove snapper and the fish were returned to the resource.

While on vessel patrol, Lieutenant Lightsey conducted a vessel safety inspection on a vessel in the river. During the inspection, the man mumbled his words and had a hard time retrieving safety gear. Due to several signs of impairment, the officer administered field sobriety tasks on the operator. After the tasks were completed, the operator was placed under arrest for BUI. Officer Maslo arrived on the scene to transport the operator to the local police department. After a urine sample was obtained, the man admitted to taking prescription medications.

While conducting vessel safety inspections, Officer Balgo saw two men paddling a canoe. The men did not possess any life jackets or a sound-producing device. One of the men did not possess any form of identification. When provided a name and date of birth, the officer could not find any record for the man. After several attempts, the officer located the man’s actual name and date of birth. The man was found to have an active warrant out of Palm Beach and was placed under arrest for the warrant and giving a false a name to a law enforcement officer. The other man was issued citations for the safety equipment.

Officer Eller was on foot patrol on the southeast corner of Haulover Canal when he noticed a male and female fishing from the shoreline. He approached and asked both individuals if they had any luck. The gentleman responded saying that they were only catching small mangrove snapper but they were not keeping any. Officer Eller conducted a resource inspection which revealed four undersized mangrove snapper and one undersized sheepshead stuffed into a small bait bucket. The subjects were cited accordingly.

Officers Eller and Hallsten were on water patrol in the Indian River when they noticed a large vessel pass by without any registration stickers. Officer Eller stopped the vessel and explained that the registration numbers, which were now visible, were improperly displayed. Following that, both Officers Eller and Hallsten also conducted a safety inspection of the vessel. When the officers asked for the registration document, the operator handed Officer Hallsten a fire extinguisher warning label. The smell of alcohol was apparent from the operator’s breath, and he was asked to perform field sobriety tasks. The operator performed very poorly and Officer Eller arrested him for BUI.

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