A Florida Keys deputy was speeding down the road early Wednesday morning while under the influence, landing him behind bars when his own sheriff’s office pulled him over. Adding to his alleged illegal actions, he also had a child in the car.
Around 4:30 a.m., Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Jesus Abdiel Rojas Burgos was off-duty in non-law enforcement car zooming down U.S. 1 near Cudjoe Key with a child in the car, the sheriff’s office said.
It’s unclear what speed Rojas Burgos was going or his relationship to the child. When a fellow Monroe Sheriff’s deputy pulled him over, he charged Rojas Burgos with driving while under the influence and child neglect.
The child was picked up by a friend while the deputy was taken to jail.
“I am committed to the public hearing about significant incidents in the Sheriff’s Office — both positive and negative — from me first,” Monroe Sheriff Rick Ramsay said.
Rojas Burgos became a Monroe County Sheriff’s Office deputy in April 2023. His continued employment is in question as authorities say an internal affairs investigation is underway.
Nearly a year after his start date, he was arrested in March 2024 after a woman accused him of grabbing her at a Key West bar. Officers noted he was “highly intoxicated” and had “a strong odor of alcoholic beverage” emitting from him.
READ MORE: Monroe deputy arrested on battery charge at Key West bar, sheriff’s office says
That case does not appear on the Monroe County Clerk of Courts website, and it is unclear if any, repercussions will come from that arrest.
At the time, Sheriff Ramsay had released a nearly identical statement, adding that an investigation and “appropriate action” would be taken.
Ramsay’s 2024 statement: “I take these incidents very seriously, will investigate this matter fully, and take the appropriate action. I am committed to keeping this community informed of significant events that occur in this agency — good or bad.”