POMPANO BEACH, Fla. – A hit-and-run investigation is underway in Pompano Beach.
And now, a couple is demanding answers after they say authorities were slow to respond.
“Called BSO -- I was on the phone with a dispatcher,” one of the victims told Local 10 News Sunday night.
The victim, who didn’t want to be named, expressed her frustration at what she calls an unacceptable law enforcement response.
“I was begging her to please get here because this is a very unsafe neighborhood, because the guy seemed drunk,” she said.
According to the Broward Sheriff’s Office, the incident happened around 7 p.m. Sunday in Pompano Beach.
The victim said she and her partner were in a Walmart parking lot when their car was rear-ended.
“It took BSO 25 minutes to get here,” she said. “The ambulance showed up 10 minutes before BSO did and I called BSO twice.”
BSO says according to their records, an officer was dispatched at 7:08 p.m. and arrived on the scene at 7:21 p.m.
The couple followed the driver into a neighborhood while waiting for deputies to arrive -- a move BSO advises against, citing safety risk.
Authorities also explained that since the calls were placed while the victims were driving, it was difficult to pinpoint the area to respond.
The victim argues that she clearly stated an address to the dispatcher.
“I must have repeated Southwest Second Court and Fourth Avenue at least 10 times,” she said. “I begged them to please get the officer here.”
BSO said their DUI unit responded and the driver, Marcelino Gomez Gomez, 23, was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence.