An Ocoee man accused of dining and dashing at Ruby Tuesday earlier this month was arrested Wednesday morning with methamphetamine in his pocket.
Sean Berkely, 41, was charged with defrauding a food service establishment, possession of methamphetamine, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
An officer responded to the restaurant, located at 9616 US Highway 441, on July 11 after receiving a report of a man walking out without paying for his $42.37 meal. An employee found an identification card on the floor next to the table where Berkery was seated and used it to positively ID him, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department.
On Wednesday, another officer saw Berkery riding a bicycle on the sidewalk in front of Jenkins Hyundai, 8865 U.S. Hwy 441. Berkery kept going after one attempt by the officer to stop him, but he was detained in handcuffs after the second effort, the report said.
Before searching Berkery, the officer asked him if he had anything sharp on his person that could be harmful, the report said. Berkery replied, “No, I do have some dope on me, though.” He further explained he had a pipe, cellophane in his cigarette pack, and a pocketknife, but no needles. The search revealed a white crystal substance in the cigarette pack and a clear glass pipe with burn marks in Berkery’s right pocket. The substance weighed about 3.1 grams bagged and later tested positive for methamphetamine, the report said.
The Illinois native was taken to the Lake County Jail after completing the booking process, and his bond was set at $3,500.
