Two Jupiter men who are apparently brothers are in trouble for getting behind the while of the same vehicle while under the influence of alcohol.
Palm Beach Gardens Police received a call about a reckless driver around 11:30 p.m. last Wednesday. When an officer arrived, he found 24-year-old found Alfredo Lopez Chaj in the driver’s seat of a running blue Nissan SUV near the Paloma neighborhood, near Central Boulevard and Interstate 95, according to police reports.
Alfredo was standing outside the SUV by the time the officer got to the vehicle, the report adds.
At that time, 20-year-old Martin Lopez Chaj slid from the passenger seat to the driver’s seat and was trying to put the car in reverse to flee, when the officer pulled him out.
Florida law states that a person is considered to be driving if he or she is in control of a running vehicle in any way, even if it is not moving.
The report details that both men smelled of alcohol and showed signs of impairment. It also noted that both had wet their pants.
After each of the men was given a field sobriety test, Martin agreed to a breath test, and a sampling was recorded at 0.21, more than 2½ times the 0.08 threshold to be impaired while driving.
However, Alfredo refused to take the test, which results in an automatic, one-year license suspension. Police say that neither man had a valid driver’s license.
Officers were unable to determine how the men mat have been related. They live one block apart in Jupiter.
The men were booked into the Palm Beach County Jail early Thursday. Alfredo left a few hours later on his own recognizance. Martin was still jailed as of midday Friday on $4,000 bond.
Alfredo Lopez Chaj is charged with DUI and driving without a license. Meanwhile, Martin Lopez Chaj has been charged with DUI, DUI over 0.15, and driving without a license.
The two men, who are natives of Guatemala, are landscapers, the report said.
They are being represented by the Palm Beach County Public Defender’s Office.