OKEECHOBEE — An Okeechobee man was arrested early Sunday morning after he was allegedly found sleeping behind the wheel of a running vehicle at a local gas station. According to the report by a member of the Okeechobee Narcotics Task Force, 35-year-old Caleb Hunter Pearce, State Road 78 East, was found asleep in a white Chevrolet pickup. At the time, he had his right hand on the wheel and in his left hand he was holding a $20 bill. The vehicle was reportedly running and in drive. The deputy entered the vehicle through the passenger door and put the vehicle in park, turned the truck off and removed the keys before attempting to awaken Mr. Pearce.
After several attempts, the deputy reported he was finally able to wake Mr. Pearce up, and he noticed his eyes were red and watery. When he requested his license and registration, Mr. Pearce tried to give him the $20. He then asked Mr. Pearce to step out of the vehicle and he reportedly had to use the door to keep his balance and could barely stand up. After field sobriety tests, Mr. Pearce was arrested and charged with DUI. His bond was set at $500.