A Broward Sheriff's Office road patrol deputy is facing charges after he was involved in a hit-and-run crash in Pompano Beach Monday night, authorities said.
Deputy Santiago Mayorga, 22, is charged with leaving the scene of a crash and four counts of drug possession, according to a release from the BSO. Mayorga, who has been with the department since April 2015, was arrested Tuesday at his home and has been suspended with pay, officials said. He bailed out on Wednesday, but was transfered to a local hospital for observation.
According to the BSO, Mayorga, who was off-duty and in his marked BSO-issued Ford Crown Victoria, had just exited northbound I-95 at Copans Road when he struck another car. He continued eastbound on Copans Road and was followed by the other driver, who lost sight of him at Northeast 5th Avenue, officials said.
The other driver, Penny Reynolds, said she had just exited I-95 when she noticed a suspicious car following close behind her with its lights off.
"He was right up to the back end of my car, couldn't get any closer without touching," she said, adding that she was stunned when the car actually hit her. "Then he moved over into the far left lane and I saw it was a BSO car and I was like, you have to be kidding me."
Investigators found Mayorga at his home where they saw drug paraphernalia and a substance believed to be marijuana in plain sight, authorities said. Detectives found a plastic bag of marijuana in his home and in his marked BSO car they found a marijuana grinder, marijuana residue in the center console, and a cigarette wrapper with an unknown chalky substance on the passenger seat, officials said.
Mayorga told detectives he was returning home after being at a friend's house, officials said.
The four drug charges against Mayorga include possession of amphetamine, possession of LSD, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of cannabis over 20 grams, officials said.
