SEBASTIAN — A St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office deputy was found guilty Wednesday of driving under the influence following his February arrest in Sebastian, according to Indian River County court records.
Arthur Alfaro was adjudicated guilty by a jury Aug. 19 at the Indian River County Courthouse before Judge Robyn Stone. The jury deliberated about 90 minutes before reaching its verdict on the charge of driving under the influence with an unlawful breath-alcohol level of .08 or higher.
Alfaro was sentenced to 12 months of supervised probation, 50 hours of community service, and fines and fees. He also received a six-month driver’s license suspension and was ordered to complete DUI school.
He remains on unpaid administrative leave while the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office continues a separate internal affairs investigation to determine whether he violated agency policy.
The sheriff’s office said it will wait for the administrative process to finish before deciding on any disciplinary action.
“Accountability applies to everyone, regardless of rank or position. As Sheriff, I have a responsibility to ensure that our members are held to the standards we expect of them and that these matters are handled fairly, thoroughly, and consistent with established procedure. We will allow the administrative process to run its course and take appropriate action based on its findings,” St Lucie County Sheriff Richard R. Del Toro, Jr. said in a Facebook post.
According to a Sebastian police report, officers first saw a black sedan traveling south just after 11 p.m. on Feb. 21 in the 700 block of Indian River Drive at about 80 mph in a 30-mph zone. Officers tried to stop the vehicle, but it fled. They discontinued the attempt after the sedan was observed traveling northbound on U.S. 1 at more than 100 mph in a 35-mph zone, with other traffic present.
Patrol car video and other efforts were used by detectives to identify the vehicle’s tag. An officer later spotted the sedan pulling out of a side street and traveling east on County Road 512 toward U.S. 1. The vehicle crossed the solid white line and appeared to have difficulty staying in a single lane before slowing and turning north onto Louisiana Avenue.
It continued into a dead-end cul-de-sac in the 800 block of Louisiana Avenue, where officers conducted a high-risk traffic stop about 12:40 a.m. Feb. 22.
Alfaro had a moderate odor of an alcoholic beverage, and his eyes were slightly red, the report states. After being read his rights, he declined to speak with officers. A passenger told police Alfaro “had been drinking.” Alfaro refused standardized field sobriety exercises.
He was taken to the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office, where he consented to a breath test that registered .120 and .129. The legal limit is .08. He was booked into the Indian River County Jail and released shortly before 10 a.m. Feb. 22 after posting $500 bail.
No criminal charges were filed related to the vehicle’s flight from officers. The criminal case is now closed.