Latest news with #JoshuaCornblit
Miami Herald
21-05-2025
- Miami Herald
BSO Fire Rescue lieutenant accused of DUI and fleeing the scene of a crash
Deputies arrested a Broward Sheriff's Office Fire Rescue lieutenant on driving under the influence of alcohol charges after witnesses say he backed his pickup truck into a parked car and drove off early Sunday morning, according to his arrest report. Witnesses said Lt. Joshua Cornblit, 45, pulled his GMC out of a parking space at a restaurant located at the 1300 block of Weston Road in Weston and hit a black Lincoln, which was parked and unoccupied, per his arrest report. The witnesses say they then saw the pickup driving away from the restaurant, the report states. Cornblit and his wife, Meilin Cornblit, were drinking at the bar of the restaurant before the crash, witnesses told deputies, according to the report. The people who saw the crash gave a description of the truck to deputies, as well as the license plate number, the report states. A license plate reader flagged the pickup on Weston Road and Blatt Boulevard, which is where deputies found it parked. Deputies also went to that area to respond to reports of a couple arguing, according to the report. Upon arrival, deputies said they found Meilin Cornblit sitting in the driver's seat with the keys in the ignition and the engine running. Deputies saw Joshua Cornblit walking down the sidewalk — stumbling, according to the report. When they caught up to him, they noticed he had bloodshot eyes, was struggling to stay on his feet and had a strong odor of alcohol emanating from him that 'became stronger as he spoke,' a deputy said in the arrest report. He also 'spontaneously uttered that he had a couple of drinks,' the deputy said. After telling him that they were now conducting a DUI investigation, Lt. Cornblit refused to take a breath test to test for alcohol in his system and was apprehended. He was booked on driving under the influence, driving under the influence in a crash that caused property damage and leaving the scene of an accident without leaving his identification — all misdemeanors. He was released on bond of $1,650 later that day, according to court records. After deputies arrived where the couple was parked, Meilin Cornblit, 40, asked to be taken to the Cleveland Clinic to check her heart, according to her arrest report. Deputies who met her there noticed she too smelled of alcohol, had red eyes and slurred speech, according to the report. Deputies put her through a series of sobriety exercises, which the report shows she failed. They searched her purse and found two peach colored pills that turned out to be the anti-anxiety medication alprazolam, better known by the popular brand name, Xanax, according to the report. Deputies say she did not have a prescription for the pills. Meilin Cornblit was booked into jail on misdemeanor DUI and possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, a third-degree felony. She was released later in the day on a total bond of $3,000, court records show. Attorney for the couple, Robert Malove said in an email to the Herald: 'We are looking forward to having our clients exonerated and clearing our clients' good names.' BSO Fire Rescue said it has no comment on Joshua Cornblit's status on the department in the wake of his arrest.
CBS News
20-05-2025
- CBS News
BSO Fire Rescue lieutenant placed on leave following DUI arrest, authorities say
A Broward Sheriff's Office Fire Rescue lieutenant has been placed on administrative leave with pay after being arrested early Sunday on suspicion of DUI and leaving the scene of a crash, according to arrest documents. Lt. Joshua Cornblit, 45, was taken into custody on May 18 in the 16000 block of Blatt Boulevard in Weston, BSO said. Authorities said Cornblit, once named firefighter of the year, was driving a black GMC when he allegedly backed out of a parking space, struck an unoccupied black Lincoln and left the scene without providing information. Vehicle located through license plate reader hit According to deputies, a license plate reader hit on the suspect vehicle shortly after and responding officers located the car parked with the ignition running. A woman identified as Cornblit's wife, Meilin Cornblit , 41, was found in the driver's seat. Moments later, deputies located Joshua Cornblit walking nearby. A deputy reported that Cornblit had bloodshot eyes, unsteady balance and an odor of alcohol on his breath. Cornblit allegedly admitted to having "a couple of drinks." Witnesses describe alcohol consumption, seat swap Four witnesses told deputies they saw Cornblit and his wife consuming alcoholic beverages at a nearby restaurant bar earlier that night. According to the arrest report, witnesses stated the couple initially entered the vehicle with Meilin Cornblit in the driver's seat and Joshua Cornblit in the passenger's seat. The two then swapped seats before the vehicle left the parking lot. One of the witnesses, whose vehicle was struck, recorded video of the vehicle leaving the lot and provided it to deputies. All four witnesses identified Joshua Cornblit as the person who drove the vehicle from the scene. When approached by deputies, Cornblit allegedly denied driving and claimed he was not in a vehicle. After being advised of the ongoing investigation, he later admitted it was just him and his wife in the vehicle. Deputies noted signs of impairment and initiated a DUI investigation. Cornblit refused a breath test despite being read Florida's Implied Consent law. Cornblit was subsequently arrested and transported to BSO's main jail.
