ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Around 3 a.m. on Saturday morning an off-duty police officer was arrested for driving under the influence.
The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office says a deputy stopped Sgt. Lesandro Santiago, 44, because he was swerving and unable to stay in his lane. Once pulled over, the deputy says Santiago had bloodshot, glassy eyes and a distinct odor of alcohol.
He refused a breath sample, but agreed to preform sobriety tests. However, deputies say he did poorly on them. He admitted to deputies he had been drinking alcohol earlier and the deputy found a receipt in the vehicle from a bar time stamped for 2:43 a.m. with 10 beers in total depicted on it.
Santiago was removed from his patrol duty and place on Administrative duty while the charge is resolved in court. Then, officials say he'll be investigated by the Office of Professional Standards, internal affairs, and will face professional consequences.
Santiago was sworn in as an officer in March of 2003. He is facing one count of driving under the influence.
