A 32 year old Florida man, Anthony Mendez, was found Monday night allegedly under the influence of drugs and unresponsive with a child in his car. He was arrested on suspicion of child neglect.
Drivers found Mendez unresponsive at the wheel of his car around 7:30 p.m. according to the Collier County Sheriff’s arrest report. The report states that witnesses called 911 and while waiting for deputies to respond, an off-duty firefighter treated Mendez. He had a pulse, but was barely breathing.
A woman that was stopped behind Mendez at a traffic light said that it appeared as though he was sleeping. She tried to wake him but couldn’t. The off-duty firefighter saw the woman pounding on the driver’s side window of Mendez’s car and pulled over to help. The firefighter told officials that when he saw Mendez slumped over the steering wheel, he proceeded to pull the man out in case he needed CPR.
Mendez came to shortly thereafter and became combative with first responders and needed to be subdued. He was then taken to a nearby hospital.
Another witness at the scene took the child out of the car, the gender and age of the child unknown at this time. According to the report, Mendez faces misdemeanor charges of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, felony child neglect, and driving on a restricted license due to previous convictions of driving with a suspended license.
Officials say they found several items of drug paraphernalia in the car, including a syringe, a spoon with a piece of cotton and residue, a pipe, brillo pads, and Xanax pills. However, Mendez won’t face any drug related charges because Florida state law mandates that a person can’t be prosecuted for drug possession if evidence of the possession was found as a result of an overdose requiring medical attention.
If you or someone you love is suspected of child neglect or DUI, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949)477-8088 for a consultation now.