A 59-year-old Lake Worth man is facing a stack of felony and misdemeanor charges after deputies say he stole a golf cart from his condominium complex, assaulted the maintenance supervisor who confronted him about it, and then threatened responding law enforcement officers. David Benzynski was taken into custody following a disturbance call at his residential community on South Florida Mango Road.
According to the WPEC, deputies with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office were called to a disturbance in progress at 2981 South Florida Mango Road on Wednesday. The address is home to Lake Clarke Gardens Condominium, a residential community first incorporated in Florida back in 1966, which explains why a maintenance supervisor and a community golf cart were on the property in the first place.
Deputies say Benzynski had taken the golf cart without permission and, by his own account given to investigators, drove it around a palm tree before returning it after realizing the incident had been caught on video. He initially denied stealing the cart, per PBSO. When he brought it back, deputies say he assaulted the maintenance supervisor, who later provided a sworn statement describing both the alleged theft and the alleged battery.
Deputies Describe a Belligerent, Intoxicated Encounter
Responding deputies reported encountering Benzynski acting belligerently, and an affidavit cited by the station notes they observed the odor of alcohol, slurred speech and an unsteady gait. Deputies told him to return to his residence because of his alleged drunken state, but the station's report indicates the situation did not end there.
When deputies attempted to take him into custody, Benzynski refused repeated commands to exit the passenger seat of a vehicle, according to the same account. He resisted deputies without physically striking them, and officers ultimately had to physically escort him from the vehicle.
Felony Threat Charge Against Public Servants
Among the charges Benzynski now faces is corruption by threat against a public servant or family, a serious allegation stemming from his interaction with deputies during the arrest. Under Florida Statute § 838.021, threatening unlawful harm to a public servant or their family with intent to influence an official duty is a third-degree felony carrying up to five years in prison, according to the Florida Senate.
He was also charged with grand theft of a motor vehicle. Because golf carts are legally classified as vehicles under Florida Statute § 812.014, what might otherwise look like a residential property dispute instead carries the weight of a third-degree felony, punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine, per the Florida Senate.
Additional Misdemeanor Counts
Benzynski also faces three misdemeanor charges: battery, resisting or obstructing without violence, and disorderly intoxication. Simple battery under Florida Statute § 784.03 covers intentionally touching or striking another person against their will and is a first-degree misdemeanor carrying up to a year in jail, the Florida Senate notes. Resisting an officer without violence under Florida Statute § 843.02 carries the same maximum penalty, while disorderly intoxication under Florida Statute § 856.011 is a second-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency for unincorporated parts of the county and also holds service contracts for municipal areas including Lake Worth Beach, according to Meltzer & Bell, P.A. Standard golf carts like the one involved typically weigh between 500 and 1,200 pounds and are restricted to roads with posted speed limits of 35 mph or lower, per guidelines from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
State lawmakers have tightened golf cart rules in recent years. Effective October 2023, Florida House Bill 949 amended Florida Statute § 316.212 to require adult drivers to carry government-issued photo identification when operating golf carts on public roadways, according to the Florida House of Representatives. Public dispatch records reviewed by VantageAI also show the same Lake Worth address had a prior emergency response, including a Priority 1 medical call for an unconscious male in February. Benzynski's case remains pending, and all charges against him are allegations at this stage.
