A 29-year-old Leesburg man was arrested for the fifth time this year after he was found passed out in a stolen vehicle in Mount Dora early Monday.
Andrew Ray Begeot had to be administered Narcan and was hospitalized for a drug overdose before being taken to the Lake County Jail. He was charged with two counts of trafficking stolen property and single counts of grand theft of a motor vehicle, resisting an officer without violence, providing a false name to law enforcement, possession of a controlled substance (fentanyl) without a prescription, possession of burglary tools, driving a vehicle with an unassigned license tag, and driving with a license that’s been expired more than six months.
At around 2:30 a.m., Mount Dora police responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle at 2785 W. Old U.S. Hwy. 441, which is the Spin City Laundry. Officers found a man later identified as Begeot asleep in the driver’s seat. An officer observed a syringe containing a brown liquid substance in the front passenger seat, according to the police report.
The officer asked Begeot, who said his name was Matthew Duncan, to get out of the vehicle. Begeot stepped out and walked towards the back of the vehicle before taking off running. Officers were able to apprehend Begeot after a short foot chase, but he became unresponsive. While waiting for paramedics to arrive, officers administered three nasal sprays of Narcan, a medicine that rapidly reverses an opioid overdose, the report said.
Officers got a report from dispatch that the Florida license plate attached to the vehicle was listed as stolen out of Altamonte Springs, while the vehicle identification number (VIN) was listed as stolen out of Orange County. A third license plate, found inside the vehicle, was reported stolen out of Leesburg, according to the report.
The brown liquid substance tested positive for fentanyl. Before being taken to the hospital, Begeot said he took methamphetamine and heroin before interacting with law enforcement. In addition to the third license plate, the vehicle search turned up six cell phones, a marijuana grinder, and a plastic pen with residue on it, the report said.
Begeot was taken to AdventHealth Waterman and then to jail after he was medically cleared. Dispatch later reported he had an active warrant in Marion County for grand theft. The warrant was later found to be under the name Begeot provided at the scene (Matthew Duncan), according to the report.
On Monday afternoon, when he was in a cognitive state of mind, Begeot gave officers his actual name. He said he didn’t recall providing the other name while he was being treated at the arrest scene, the report said.
Jail records show Begeot has four prior arrests in 2022:
- Feb. 18 – Possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.
- April 4 – Trespassing at an occupied structure or conveyance.
- April 25 – Resisting without violence and possession of drug paraphernalia.
- May 29 – Grand theft of between $750 and $5,000.
Begeot is currently being held on $21,000 bond and will answer to the latest charges in Lake County Court on Aug. 29.
