West Palm Beach Man Arrested On D.U.I. Charge

On Sunday, June 2, Palm Beach police charged a 46-year-old man with driving under the influence after they observed him driving the wrong way down a one way street, according to a police report. The story was first reported by the Palm Beach Daily News.

According to the police report, the incident occurred shortly after 2 a.m. The man was identified as Neftali Ortega of West Palm Beach. Ortega was stopped driving west in the 300 block of Australian Avenue.

Ortega, who is a manager at Renato’s restaurant, stated that he was aware he was driving the wrong way but that he did so because he was “tired,” according to the police report.

West Palm Beach Man Arrested On D.U.I. Charge

The police report states that Ortega’s eyes were bloodshot and glassy, that he appeared confused, and that he had a difficult time keeping his balance. The report also shows that when police asked Ortega for his driver’s license, he handed it to an officer and then continually showed her the empty spot in his wallet where the license used to be.

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According to the police report, Ortega refused to submit to a roadside sobriety test.

Ortega registered at a 0.244 and 0.252 on a breathalyzer test, which is more than three times the legal blood alcohol limit in the state of Florida of 0.08. Ortega was then taken to the Palm Beach County Jail and booked on the DUI charge, according to the police report. A hearing on the charge will be held at 8:30 a.m. on June 20.