DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — Suspended Delray Beach police officer Peter Sosa has had three felony charges and three misdemeanor charges dropped but one misdemeanor and a reckless driving citation added by State Attorney Dave Aronberg in connection to a residential fire near his home in Lake Worth Beach.
In a filing on Oct. 25, 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, 42.
But the state kept the 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.
Aronberg wrote Assistant State Attorney Joseph Kadis "personally known to me, who, being first duly sworn, says that the allegations as set forth in the foregoing information are based upon facts that have been sworn to as true, and which, if
true, would constitute the offense therein charged, that this prosecution is instituted in good faith, and certifies that testimony under oath has been received from the material witness or witnesses for the offense."
Circuit Court Judge Howard Coates set a case disposition data of Nov. 17 via Zoom at the Palm Beach County Courthouse.
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.
His $3,000 bond was discharged on Oct. 25.
Ted White, a spokesman for Delray Beach police, had said Sosa is an officer, including previously serving as a detective, but is on administrative leave after the arrest.
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.
Among the allegations:
• Numerous deputies and fire personnel attempted to stop Sosa, with “tire marks in the grass where he spun revving the tires attempting to antagonize the deputies," according to the report
• Sosa entered a 2011 Ford Expedition and drove toward the end of the driveway. Sosa began driving his vehicle through yards and grass areas until he entered the roadway.
• He drove over a fire hose, puncturing it, and with Palm Beach County Fire Rescue engineer Thomas Galloway needing to interrupt the fire suppression to his crew.
• While driving on a road, a PBSO deputy unsuccessful attempted to stop him. The deputy followed Sosa on Lake Worth Road. About 150-200 feet west of the intersection, Sosa "slammed his brakes, causing the vehicle to go from 40 mph to an abrupt stop," causing the deputy's vehicle to lock up and swerve around him.
• Sosa ultimately was stopped and detained.
