A Cape Coral man faces multiple charges after allegedly driving drunk, fleeing police, and hiding beneath car wash machinery in a failed attempt to evade arrest.

Chase Ends at Car Wash

Officers from the Cape Coral Police Department responded to reports of a silver Dodge Ram pickup truck driving recklessly on Santa Barbara Boulevard South around 11:28 p.m. on Wednesday, June 24. The driver was allegedly speeding while potentially impaired. Police located the vehicle at a McDonald’s near the 800 block of Northeast Pine Island Road. When officers attempted a traffic stop in a nearby Walgreens parking lot, the driver abandoned his truck and fled on foot.

Police established a perimeter and discovered the suspect hiding inside a local car wash. Body camera footage captured officers using flashlights to locate 30-year-old Shaheem Raekwon Preston lying beneath the car wash machinery. He was taken into custody without further resistance.

Evidence of Impairment

During the investigation, officers observed multiple signs of intoxication. Preston displayed slurred speech, bloodshot and watery eyes, and an odor of alcohol, according to the police report. He refused to participate in field sobriety tests and declined to provide a breath sample. A search of his abandoned vehicle revealed multiple small liquor bottles, some empty and others unopened. Police records also showed Preston’s driver’s license had been suspended at the time of the incident.

Multiple Charges Filed

Preston now faces five criminal charges: driving under the influence, refusal to submit to DUI testing, driving while license suspended or revoked, resisting arrest without violence, and careless driving. He remains held at the Lee County Jail. The incident highlights ongoing concerns about impaired driving in Southwest Florida communities. Cape Coral police continue to enforce strict DUI laws designed to protect residents and visitors from dangerous driving behaviors that put lives at risk on local roadways.