WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Retired Delray Beach police officer Peter Sosa will enter in a pretrial intervention agreement and will surrender his law enforcement officer certification after being charged in connection to a residential fire near his home in Lake Worth Beach in October.
Sosa was an officer for the department for 12 years, including previously serving as a detective, but was initially on administrative leave after the arrest. Ted White, a spokesman for Delray Beach police, said Sosa later retired from the department.
In an updated filing on Oct. 25 by State Attorney Dave Aronberg, Sosa had a third-degree felony charge of preventing or obstructing extinguishment of fire and added a first-degree misdemeanor of resisting officer without violence and the reckless driving citation.
The state dropped second-degree felony aggravated assault on an officer, paramedic, EMT etc. and third-degree felony criminal mischief of $1,000 or more, and four second-degree misdemeanor counts of failure to obey a lawful order against Sosa.
In a plea agreement hearing on Tuesday with Circuit Court Judge Howard Coates, Sosa approved entering the program, which includes refraining from violation of any laws, a fine of $50 per month toward cost of supervision, $200 for prosecution cost, work in a lawful occupation, remaining in his residence unless notifying the state, no possession or carrying of a firearm, not using intoxicants or visiting places where intoxicants, drugs or other dangerous substances are unlawfully sold, dispersed or used.
In the special conditions, Sosa must immediately show proof of surrendering his law enforcement license and not have contact with the involved fire rescue personnel and their family members.
The charges will be deferred for 12 months but if he completes all of these conditions after six months, Sosa's listed charges will be dropped and the case closed.
Sosa, a Delray Beach police officer for 12 years, was arrested Oct. 2 by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office and posted a surety bond at the jail later that Sunday night. He later made a first appearance and his bond conditions were then modified by Coates with no contact with the victim or family members, no contact with witnesses or family members and surrender of any firearms to PBSO within 24 hours. His lawyer waived arraignment and entered a not-guilty plea on the original charges on Oct. 21.
Deputies and Palm Beach Fire Rescue responded to a residence in Lake Worth Beach where there was an active fire in the back of the residence in the shed's roof. Besides fire rescue equipment, there were six to eight deputies parked along the street, according to the arrest report.
While attempting to extinguish the fire, a man later identified as Sosa was seen driving a 2010 Mazda with family members out of his driveway, which was near the house fire. In the updated arrest report the address of the victim and suspect have been blacked out. The officer's mugshot also was removed from the PBSO jail inmate website.
Sosa drove his vehicle along a grassy swale, crossing driveways and attempting to circumvent the hoses and equipment, according to the report.
