POLICE: Hits Gate System In Middle Of Night, Drives To House. PBSO Finds Car, Driver…
BY: STAFF REPORT | BocaNewsNow.com
DELRAY BEACH, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2022 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — A Delray Beach man is facing a DUI charge and a hit-and-run charge after allegedly smashing into a gate at Valencia Falls, then continuing to his home as if nothing happened. A gate guard, however, recognized Anthony Balaguera, knew where he lived, and told PBSO where to find him.
A Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Deputy — arriving just moments after the incident — took the information to locate Balaguera in the Valencia Falls community. The Deputy documented the following interaction:
“On December 16, 2022 at approximately 0300 hours, I was dispatched to a hit-and-run at the entrance of the Valencia Falls community located in Delay Beach Florida. Upon my arrival at the Valencia Falls entrance I made contact with the gate guard who stated he observed a Silver Nissan Altima strike a gate transmitter. The gate guard stated when he made contact with the driver he told him he had to call emergency services to report the damage, to which the Silver Nissan left the scene of the crash into the community in an unknown direction of travel. The gate guard stated he recognized the driver and provided me with the address of 13588 Barcelona Lakes Circle.
I then drove to the provided address and while arriving at the residence I observed a Silver Nissan Altima driving north bound in Barcelona Lakes Cir. I observed the Silver Nissan Altima (No Displayed License Plate with front end damage including a piece of the front bumper scraping on the roadway. I then stepped out of my vehicle put my hand out and verbally commanded the driver to stop the vehicle. As the vehicle attempted to drive past me, I observed the driver who looked visibly confused.
After several verbal commands, the vehicle finally came to a stop. I then made contact with an Anthony Balaguera. When speaking with Anthony, I observed his eyes to be glossy and bloodshot, while also slurring his speech. When Anthony spoke to me, I smelled the odor of an unknown alcoholic beverage coming from his breath and intensified as he spoke to me. I then asked where the license plate was. He stated it was inside his vehicle. Anthony provided me with a Florida License plate.”
Balaguera, according to police, agreed to perform several field sobriety tests, most of which he allegedly had a problem completing. He later refused to provide a breath sample which results in an automatic license suspension under “implied consent.” Balaguera, 21, was booked into the Palm Beach County Jail and later released on his own recognizance.
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