A Minneola man was arrested after refusing to provide ID or step out of his unregistered vehicle during a traffic stop.

Danny Orlando Pastrana
Danny Orlando Pastrana

A deputy conducted a traffic stop on a white GMC pickup truck with an EXEMPT tag while headed south on Hancock Road near Citrus Grove Road around 9:50 a.m. Monday, according to an arrest report from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. 

The deputy approached the driver’s side door, identified himself and informed 34-year-old Danny Orlanda Pastrana, the driver, of the reason for the stop. Pastrana stated he was not driving, he was traveling and did not need to have his vehicle registered. The deputy asked if he had a valid driver’s license, to which he responded he did but did not have to give it to the deputy, the report said. 

The deputy told Pastrana that he needed to provide his license upon request, but he stated that he did not commit a crime and refused to hand it over. So, the deputy checked the vehicle’s VIN and discovered it was not registered to Pastrana or in the state of Florida with no tag assigned. Pastrana was then asked to step out of his vehicle, the report said. 

However, he stated he was not going to step out of the vehicle, rolled up his window and locked his doors. The deputy gave him another directive to step out of the vehicle but could see him mouthing that he was not going to come out of the vehicle. Another deputy told Pastrana that if he did not step out, the window would be broken to get him out, the report said. 

Pastrana still refused to come out, leading a deputy to strike the bottom right corner of the driver’s side window. It did not break, but Pastrana opened the door and said he would give the deputies his ID. He was immediately taken to the ground and placed in wrist restraints, the report said. 

The Massachusetts native was subsequently arrested and charged for resisting officer without violence, failure to register a vehicle and attached tag not assigned. He was transported to Lake County Jail with bond set at $2,000.