Sheriff's Deputy Arrested for DUI; Had His Kids in the Car

UPDATED Friday, 4:15 p.m.

A Gwinnett County sheriff’s deputy was arrested for driving under the influence after he was involved in a minor traffic accident Thursday night near Dacula.

Police said two of Anthony Charles Pesaresi’s children were in the car when it was stopped Thursday night near the intersection of Braselton Highway (Ga. 124) and Hog Mountain Road, in the Hamilton Mill area of Dacula.

According to jail records, Pesaresi was listed as an Auburn resident. He was charged with DUI-alcohol and two counts of DUI-child endangerment. He was booked at 8:01 p.m. Thursday and released about an hour later.

Police said in the incident report a Gwinnett officer stopped around 5:30 p.m. Thursday after seeing two vehicles — one driven by Pesaresi — along the side of the road after the accident. The officer concluded Pesaresi had pulled out in front of the other vehicle, causing the second vehicle to rear-end his car.

The officer smelled alcohol coming from the deputy, who said he had one beer earlier in the day and had not eaten since 8 a.m. The state-administered breath test read 0.112 and 0.113, both readings over the legal limit.

The children were in the backseat, according to the incident report.

The Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Pesaresi is a senior deputy in the agency’s Jail Division. He has been with the department since 2011. He was reportedly off duty at the time of the arrest.

“In accordance with departmental policy, an administrative investigation was initiated following the arrest and no further details will be available until the conclusion of this investigation,” Deputy Shannon Volkodav said in the news release.”

(Photo: Anthony Charles Pesaresi. Credit: Gwinnett Jail mug shot)