A 38-year-old Big Pine Key man was arrested Wednesday after deputies say he drove a Chevrolet pickup while intoxicated with a 6-year-old in the truck who was not wearing a seatbelt. Authorities allege he refused to get out of the vehicle, failed field sobriety tests and made crude threats, including saying he would sexually assault a deputy’s family. The child was later placed with relatives and the Florida Department of Children and Families was notified.
What deputies say
According to CBS Miami, the Monroe County Sheriff's Office said deputies were called Wednesday after reports that the man, identified as Jamie Allan Koval, had been drinking and smoking marijuana while in custody of the child. Deputies stated Koval refused to exit his truck on Key Deer Boulevard, did not pass field sobriety exercises and was taken into custody on multiple counts, including DUI with a person under 18, resisting arrest, child neglect, threatening a law enforcement officer and refusal to submit to a breath test.
Scene and response
Per the Monroe County Sheriff's Office, deputies located Koval on Key Deer Boulevard on Big Pine Key and found the child unrestrained in the vehicle. Deputies placed the child with family members and notified the Florida Department of Children and Families as part of the agency's standard welfare procedures.
Legal implications
Florida law imposes enhanced penalties when a DUI occurs with a passenger under 18 in the vehicle, including higher fines and possible jail time, as outlined in the Florida Statutes. Refusing to submit to a lawful breath test can also trigger administrative license suspension and criminal penalties under state law.
Background
Public records and earlier reporting show a man with the same full name and Big Pine Key address was arrested in a 2019 road-rage incident, suggesting prior run-ins with law enforcement in the Lower Keys. That earlier case was reported by the Miami Herald.
The suspect remains in custody and faces the listed charges while deputies continue their investigation, according to CBS Miami. Officials did not immediately release bond information or comment further on the ongoing probe.
