By Madeleine List
The Charlotte Observer
CLEARWATER, Fla. — A man who was released from a Florida jail after being accused of driving under the influence was back behind bars about an hour later when jail staff caught him trying to break into three sheriff’s vehicles, according to Florida court documents.
Staff on Aug. 7 saw him “pulling on the door handles” of a 2013 Chevy Tahoe , a 2010 Chevy Impala and a 2004 Ford Econoline van that belonged to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, the documents said.
The 32-year-old man told authorities that he thought the “other half of his keys” was in one of the vehicles, according to a complaint filed with the Circuit Court in Pinellas County.
Earlier that morning, deputies pulled over the man’s vehicle after he rear-ended another car and tried to flee, according to court documents . Deputies conducted a field sobriety test and found he showed “multiple signs of impairment,” including smelling of alcohol and having “bloodshot, watery” eyes, the documents said.
The man told deputies that he was tired after attending a concert the night before.
Just before 7:40 a.m., deputies arrested the man on a charge of driving under the influence, court documents say.
He was booked into the Pinellas County Jail in Clearwater at around 9:30 a.m., according to jail records.
Clearwater is about 26 miles west of Tampa.
He was released later that afternoon on a $500 bond.
After jail staff accused him of trying to break into the sheriff’s vehicles, he was arrested again and charged with three counts of burglary conveyance unoccupied, court records show.
He was booked back into the county jail at 4:40 p.m. and was later released again - this time on a $5,000 bond, jail records show.
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