Florida Man Arrested After Passing Out at Gas Pump With Guns, Child in Backseat

A Florida man was arrested after police found him asleep in his vehicle with firearms inside, while his 5-year-old son sat in the backseat. Patrick Voegtly, 26, had parked his pickup truck next to a gas pump at a station in Plant City on May 14.

At about 7:57 p.m., Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) deputies responded to a report of a person down and discovered Voegtly passed out in the driver's seat of his pickup truck. Bodycam footage of the incident shows an officer approaching the vehicle and noticing a gun beside Voegtly.

The deputy then quickly seized the gun and woke Voegtly up. He then asked him to step out of the vehicle before removing another firearm from his pocket. According to HCSO, Voegtly’s son told the officer that his father was ‘just sleeping.’

As Voegtly got out of the vehicle, the officer handcuffed him, while the man appeared to resist arrest. “My son is behind me,” he yelled, to which the officer replied, “I get that. You have guns on you.” Meanwhile, the child's cries were heard in the background.

Voegtly was ultimately taken into custody and charged with driving under the influence (DUI), child neglect, and improper exhibition of a firearm. The sheriff’s office revealed Voegtly refused to perform field sobriety exercises, but agreed to provide a breath sample. His Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) was found to be more than twice the legal limit of 0.08.

Additionally, Voegtly showed signs of being under the influence at the time of his arrest. “During the investigation, deputies noted Voegtly had indications of impairment, including glassy eyes and slurred speech,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

Talking about how the incident could have endangered lives, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in an official statement, “This reckless decision could have ended in tragedy. Driving under the influence is dangerous enough, but doing so with a child in the vehicle while armed shows a complete disregard for the safety of others. Thankfully, deputies intervened before anyone was seriously hurt.”

Voegtly was released from the Hillsborough County Jail after posting bond on May 16. It remains unclear whose custody the child was placed in following his father’s arrest. Also, Voegtly is one of several people in Florida who have been accused of driving under the influence with children in their vehicles.

In February 2025, 44-year-old James King was charged with DUI after he was found driving while intoxicated in Winter Park. His underage son was in the car at the time. The kid asked him to pull over before calling for help. “It’s something I deeply regret. I understand that I’ve made a big mistake and I’m gonna have to pay for it,” King later said in an interview with Channel 9.

That same weekend, Andrew Soto, 33, was arrested for allegedly driving under the influence with a child in a car seat. He was taken into custody by deputies with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.