LEESBURG, Florida—A 20-year-old Orlando man is facing five counts of child neglect and DUI after he was pulled over for speeding late Saturday night.
A Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputy was parked in the median on U.S. Highway 27 near Plantation Boulevard shortly before midnight Sunday, according to an arrest affidavit. The deputy observed a vehicle traveling 83 mph in a 55-mph zone and quickly turn when the deputy turned on his headlights. The vehicle turned around in an open grassy area and reentered the roadway without its headlights on.
The vehicle continued down the road in the wrong direction and pulled into a parking spot after the deputy activated his emergency lights; the driver, Marques C. Denis, quickly got out of the vehicle and ignored the deputy’s commands to get back in the car. Denis then walked toward the deputy and was secured. The deputy immediately could smell alcohol on Denis and after backup arrived, the deputy found that Denis had six passengers in the vehicle—five of whom were children, ages 17, 9, 8 and two 14-year-olds and a half-empty bottle of E&J Brandy VS.
Denis agreed to perform field sobriety exercises and following the exercises he was arrested for DUI, three counts of domestic child neglect and two counts of child neglect. He was transported to the Lake County Jail, where he was released on $6,000 bond.
