NORTH BLOTTER: Mom, teen arrested on boats in underage drinking incident (2024)

Palm Beach Gardens Police

Criminal mischief: Several walls in the parking garage at a shopping complex in the 3300 block of Fairchild Gardens Avenue were defaced with graffiti. The walls were inside one of the stairwells and were first discovered by one of the complex’s maintenance technicians. A review of surveillance footage showed a vehicle present at the time of the crime. Though the make and model of the car could be ascertained, the license plate could not be clearly seen. The damage was estimated to be around $200.

Information: A residence in the 500 block of Sandtree Drive, which has been vacant for months, was entered by several people. When officers arrived they could hear multiple subjects inside the dwelling and could smell the odor of freshly burned marijuana. They set up a perimeter around the home and then knocked on the door. Though they knocked on the door multiple times and gave loud verbal commands for whoever was inside to exit, no one came out. The shades over all the windows were drawn shut. This was the fifth time officers responded to the same residence for the same issue. The following day, police were able to make contact with the actual owner of the residence. She said she was aware of the problem and would hire a locksmith to change all of the locks. She added that she did not wish to take any legal action for fear of ruining the lives of the trespassing pot smokers.

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DUI: Driving up onto the sidewalk and traveling there for approximately 100 feet before getting back onto the road, a vehicle was stopped near the intersection of Northlake Boulevard and Congress Avenue. After making contact with the driver, the officer had to ask him multiple times to step out of the vehicle before he complied. After being asked for his license, the man stated through slurred, mumbling speech that he didn’t have one. Asked how much he’d had to drink, he first said four beers, but moments later changed his answer to six. Though he agreed to take part in a roadside sobriety test, the test was cut short out of fear the man would injure himself because of his level of intoxication. He was arrested on charges of DUI and driving without a license and later taken to the county jail. He also was cited for driving on the sidewalk.

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Jupiter Police

Theft: Despite being yelled at and told to stop by an employee, a man carrying unpaid merchandise ran from a store in the 2100 block of West Indiantown Road. He quickly jumped into his vehicle and raced away. Surveillance footage from inside the store gave police a close look at the perpetrator and his actions. He managed to steal a hoverboard worth nearly $200.

Trespassing/drugs: Discovered on the premises of a business in the 2100 block of West Indiantown Road, a man was asked whether he knew he had been issued an indefinite trespass warning for the store. He said he knew, but that he was only there to meet a friend. He was arrested. He was then taken to the police station for processing along with his backpack. While searching his backpack, a second backpack was found inside. Though there was no third backpack inside that one, there was a green, leafy substance which later proved to be marijuana. There also was a capped syringe with a clear liquid inside. The man said it belonged to his brother and that he took it. He thought it was either heroin or fentanyl. He also was arrested on a drug possession charge.

DUI: Exceeding the speed limit by more than 20 mph, a car was stopped on East Frederick Small Road near State Road 811... eventually. Though the officer had activated his lights and was directly behind the speeding vehicle, it took the driver more than a half a mile and the sirens blaring before he knew he was being pursued and he actually stopped. On his phone when the officer made contact with him, the man had bloodshot eyes, the smell of an alcoholic beverage on his breath, his zipper down and several beer cans strewn about the car. After stepping out of the vehicle he agreed to perform a roadside sobriety test. He did poorly and was arrested on a DUI charge. Later he refused to provide a breath sample.

North Palm Beach Police

Criminal mischief: The driver’s-side window of a man’s car was smashed while it was parked outside a residence on Northlake Boulevard. Surveillance footage showed the perpetrator carrying a shovel and walking around looking into vehicles. Once he selected the victim’s, he used the shovel to smash the window. The man could be seen rummaging through the car after smashing the window. The vehicle was hit with such force that in addition to breaking the window, the door frame and door handle also were damaged, resulting in $2,000 in damages. Several fingerprints were lifted from the car. The shovel was found a short distance away from the crime. No prints could be lifted from the tool.

Martin County Sheriff’s Office

Domestic battery: A woman and her boyfriend met at a park in the 4400 block of southeast Murray Street in Stuart around 1:30 a.m. to discuss their relationship. After arguing, the boyfriend began striking and choking the woman. He threatened to kill her and her family. The woman fled and was taken by a passerby to an area hospital, where she was interviewed by deputies. Later that day the boyfriend was arrested on numerous charges and taken to the county jail.

Criminal mischief: Unhappy at how long it was taking to prepare his order, a man in a restaurant drive-thru in the 15600 block of Southwest Warfield Boulevard in Indiantown began revving the engine of his pickup. After he yelled at an employee, she told him he would not be served, so he punched a hole in the drive-thru window and drove off. Witnesses corroborated her story, and the employee said she would make available surveillance video of the incident. Damage to the window was estimated at $300. Deputies caught up with the man, who claimed a restaurant employee threw a drink at him, causing him to punch a hole in the window in anger. No liquid, ice or cup were found in the drive-thru lane. The man was charged with criminal mischief and given a notice to appear in court.

Obstructing: A deputy stopped a man riding a bicycle without proper lights after sunset on Southeast Salerno Road in Stuart. While coming to a stop, the man tried to attach a light to the front of his bike. The man told the deputy he did not have identification, but provided his name and spelled it two different ways. When asked where he was from, the man replied, “America.” He claimed he was being harassed and said he didn’t have to prove his identity. The man was uncooperative and clenched his hands when the deputy tried to get his fingerprints. However, a search of the man’s wallet revealed his real name. A background check showed he had an open warrant for his arrest out of Lake County. He was arrested and taken to the county jail.

Underage drinking: Deputies on patrol of the Intracoastal Waterway in Hobe Sound spotted two boats tied together in violation of the state’s COVID-19 order. As they approached the vessels, they spotted a young woman drinking an alcoholic beverage. The woman claimed she was 21 but then admitted she was 19. She said she wasn’t drinking the beverage. Deputies were then confronted by the teen’s mother, who told them to go find “real crime.” They informed the mother that she, too, was under arrest for providing the alcohol to her daughter. The mother became irate, accusing the deputies of ruining her daughter’s future. The mother recorded the deputies, then placed a call to a person she said was her lawyer. Mom and offspring were given notices to appear in court. As the deputies departed, the mother thanked them for destroying her daughter’s life and costing her thousands of dollars.

St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office

Fraud: Several vehicles were burglarized at a preserve area in the 4900 block of Ralls Road in Fort Pierce. While deputies were on scene, one of the victims received an alert that her credit card was used several times in the area. The card was declined at a home improvement store and a gas station, but it was successfully used at a second gas station. Deputies went to the station, reviewed surveillance video of the fraudulent transaction and tracked down the suspect’s vehicle. A 38-year-old woman was arrested on several fraud charges. Her companion, a 34-year-old man, was arrested and charged with burglary of a vehicle and theft. Both were taken to the county jail.

DUI: A 28-year-old driver crashed into a tree and mailbox in the 7500 block of South Indian River Drive in Fort Pierce. Deputies spoke to the man, who claimed he was following another motorist who was driving recklessly in an attempt to get his tag number. He said the other car hit him, causing him to lose control of his vehicle. Deputies noticed that the man had glassy, bloodshot eyes and smelled of alcohol. After a poor performance on field sobriety tests, the man was arrested and taken to the county jail.

Fort Pierce Police

Drugs: A 33-year-old motorist stopped in the 1300 block of Orange Avenue was acting nervous and fidgety. When she refused consent to search her vehicle, police had a K-9 officer conduct an open air sniff. The dog alerted to the presence of drugs. A search of the vehicle turned up a grinder with pot inside. As the woman was taken into custody, she began resisting officers. She grabbed one officer’s hand, wrenching it toward her body and refusing to let go. Once the woman was subdued, police noticed a bag of pot protruding from her rear area. Crack cocaine also was found stuck to the skin in her rear area. The woman was taken to an area hospital, where more drugs were found in her vagin*, prompting police to add a charge of tampering with evidence.

Concealed weapon: Police were called to the 100 block of Kalafer Lane to investigate gunfire. Two men were spotted in the area with a number of children. The men both tucked guns into their waistbands and fled at the sight of the patrol car. An officer chased one of the men, who eventually gave up and laid down on the ground. The gun was no longer in his waistband, but was recovered by police under a car in the parking lot. The gun had a bullet in the chamber and a full magazine. The 21-year-old man, denying ownership of the weapon, claimed he was waiting for a female friend to come outside. He was arrested and taken to the county jail.

Drugs: A motorist who ran a red light at North 13th Street and Orange Avenue was stopped by police. She consented to a search of her vehicle, and police found crack pipes and other drug paraphernalia. The 26-year-old was arrested and taken to the county jail.

Drugs: A 40-year-old man and a 29-year-old woman were arrested during a traffic stop in the 400 block of South 23rd Street after police found crack cocaine and drug paraphernalia in their possession.

Compiled by Eddie Ritz and Sy O’Neill from area law enforcement reports.