LEESBURG, Florida—A man who put his 6-year-old son on his lap and allowed him to steer his vehicle right into a light pole was arrested Friday for child abuse and no driver license, according to an arrest affidavit.
Josue Suarez-Zeledon, 38, told Leesburg Police his 6-year-old asked him if he could drive around 3:30 p.m. Friday. Suarez-Zeledon pulled over near the intersection of South Street and South Lone Oak Drive and put his son on his lap, the affidavit states. Suarez-Zeledon was controlling the gas and brake pedals while the boy was steering, he told police.
The vehicle began traveling northbound on South Lone Oak Drive with both Suarez-Zeledon and the child controlling the steering wheel. As they approached the intersection of Jobbins Drive, the boy suddenly snatched the wheel completely to the right and they struck a pole before Suarez-Zeledon was able to regain control, he told LPD.
No one was injured, including a Suarez-Zeledon’s daughter, who was also in the vehicle; her age was not listed in the affidavit. Suarez-Zeledon told the arresting officer he does not have a driver license because he is from Nicaragua.
The children were turned over to their mother, and Suarez-Zeledon was transported to the Lake County Jail, where he is being held on no bond.
