Underwear-clad deputy is guilty of trespassing

LOXAHATCHEE — A Palm Beach County sheriff ’s deputy is spending 30 days on in-house arrest and a year on probation after being found guilty of trespassing in an occupied home in September, court records state.

A judge found Armando Sorell guilty last week of entering a Loxahatchee-area home without permission and crawling into bed with a sleeping woman. Sorell, who has worked for the Sheriff ’s Office for nearly a decade, must start the in-house arrest by June 15.

Sorell had been on paid administrative leave since the allegations surfaced, the Sheriff ’s Office said. When he begins the 30-day term, he must use his own time — whether paid vacation or unpaid time off — for its duration.

Once that sentence is complete, the Sheriff ’s Office will begin an internal investigation into Sorell. It was not immediately known whether he will be on paid or unpaid leave during that time. The Sheriff ’s Office has 180 days to complete its investigation.

At about 4 a.m. Sept. 24, a woman was awakened by the sound of someone calling her name. She turned and saw Sorell — who was only wearing white underwear — in bed next to her. The woman knew Sorell through a mutual friend, who records indicate also works for the Sheriff ’s Office. The only time Sorell had been to her home was for a party a few weeks prior, she said.

She jumped out of the bed and told Sorell to leave. He smelled of alcohol and appeared to be intoxicated, she said. He eventually grabbed his clothes and left.

The woman told investigators Sorell would have had to climb over her 5-foot metal gate to get onto the property.

Sorell had called the woman at about 3 that morning and left a message asking her to call him because he was outside. He sent her a message shortly after he left and apologized for scaring her.

The woman and Sorell’s mutual friend told investigators he had a few drinks with Sorell the night of Sept. 23. The friend called to check on Sorell after they parted ways. Sorell said he was heading to the Double Dee’s Ranch strip club and asked where they had gone to the party near Loxahatchee a few weeks earlier.

■ Government: Federal, state, county and municipal offices, courts, banks and post offices will be closed. Hypoluxo Town Hall will close at noon Friday and remain closed through Monday.

■ Transportation: There is no Palm Tran bus service Monday. Tri-Rail will operate on a weekend schedule.

■ Schools, libraries: Schools and libraries in Palm Beach, Martin and

St. Lucie counties will be closed Monday.

■ Garbage pickup: In Palm Beach County, most pickups are on the regular schedule Monday. Exceptions include Boca Raton, where Monday pickups will be Tuesday, and Tuesday’s will be Wednesday; Lake Park, where Monday pickups will be Tuesday; and North Palm Beach, where Monday customers will have their garbage picked up on their next regularly scheduled day.

■ In Martin County, there are no pickups Monday. Pickups will be delayed a day.

■ In St. Lucie County, pickups are on the regular schedule Monday.