What started as a traffic stop over dark windows on Interstate 4 near Davenport on Feb. 11 ended with felony charges and a brief scuffle inside the county’s felony booking facility, according to deputies. The driver, identified as 44-year-old Jose Rosario-Maldonado of Orlando, was taken into custody and remains held at the Polk County Jail.
Traffic stop and charges
Deputies say they pulled over a blue Toyota traveling eastbound on I-4 after noticing its windows looked unusually dark. Using a tint meter, they reportedly found the front windows allowed only about 15% of visible light through.
When questioned, Rosario-Maldonado allegedly told a deputy he did not have a driver’s license. A records check then showed his license had been suspended since November 2025, according to Tampa Free Press. He was booked on charges including driving with a suspended license, resisting with violence, and battery on a law enforcement officer.
Florida’s tint rules
Florida law is pretty specific about how dark you can go on your car’s glass. Front side windows must let in at least 28% of visible light. Anything darker is considered illegal sunscreening and is handled as a noncriminal traffic infraction.
The rules on what is allowed, how it is measured, and how it is enforced are spelled out in Florida Statute 316.2953.
Booking scuffle and custody
Once at the county’s felony processing center, things reportedly escalated. Polk County arrest reports say Rosario-Maldonado became uncooperative during booking and grabbed a deputy during a brief struggle, which led to the added battery and resisting charges.
He remains in custody at the Polk County Jail, and the Sheriff’s Processing Center in Winter Haven serves as the county’s designated felony booking facility, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office.
Legal consequences
Under Florida law, putting your hands on an officer can quickly escalate the stakes. Battery on a law enforcement officer is reclassified, which means a misdemeanor battery can be bumped up to a felony status when the victim is an officer.
The statute also lays out tougher penalties for aggravated offenses against law enforcement officers. Those reclassifications and potential penalties are detailed in Florida Statute 784.07.
