Man arrested on DUI charge after driving truck into Lake Alice

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Angelo Rodriguez, 27, was arrested early yesterday morning after he was rescued from a pickup truck that was partially submerged in Lake Alice.

At about 2:09 a.m. on March 16, University of Florida Police Department officers responded to a report of a partially submerged pickup truck in Lake Alice and found a silver Toyota Tundra in the lake, about 30 feet from the shoreline. The officers reported that the engine compartment was mostly submerged, and there was water about a third of the way up the driver’s side door. All the windows were rolled up, and the officers did not know whether anyone was in the truck.

An officer noted that the railing along the walkway had been sheared off at the base of its support poles and was lying along the bank. Two tire tracks led from both sides of the center line on Village Road to the edge of the concrete overhang, where the railing was originally attached. There were no visible footprints or disturbed areas at the water’s edge.

Two officers waded out to the truck and found Rodriguez in the driver’s seat. The windows had to be broken, and Gainesville Fire Rescue and Alachua County Fire Rescue assisted in removing Rodriguez from the truck.

The report noted that Rodriguez appeared to be impaired, and the strong odor of an alcoholic beverage came from his breath and his body.

Rodriguez was transported to an emergency room, where an officer interviewed him after he was medically cleared. Rodriguez reportedly told the officer that he was heading south to downtown on Archer Road when he hit a “wet spot,” lost control while trying to keep his truck “in position,” and woke up in the lake with the officers.

Post Miranda, Rodriguez said he did not want to answer questions, but he consented to a blood draw; the result was reportedly 0.278 g/100 ml, over three times the legal limit.

Rodriguez reportedly had a Florida ID card, and the report states that he has had four previous convictions for driving with a suspended license. His license was permanently revoked in April 2020. He has been charged with driving under the influence with property damage and knowingly driving without a license, third or subsequent offense. Judge Meshon Rawls ordered him released on his own recognizance with a transdermal alcohol monitor and a requirement to enroll in a substance abuse treatment program.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.