Son of sheriff charged with DWI

Mar. 2—The son of Niagara County Sheriff Michael Filicetti has been arrested on drunken driving charges.

The arrest came early Sunday morning after what was described by Lewiston police as a "property damage accident." The accident took place in the 800 block of Moyer Road in Lewiston.

Police said they responded to the accident call and, as part of their investigation, determined that Alex Filicetti may have been drinking. The younger Filicetti reportedly failed standard field sobriety tests at the scene.

Filicetti, 23, was charged with driving while intoxicated.

The sheriff said his son, "made a mistake and he's going to have to pay the consequences."

There were no injuries reported as a result of the accident.

The arrest follows two incidents reported by the Gazette last year involving Filicetti's son, an Aug. 8 police report in which Alex was found sleeping behind the wheel of his pickup that was parked and running on Center Street and an April property damage incident on Bridgeman Road. No charges were filed in either incident.

Lewiston Police Chief Frank Previte said neither officer performed any field sobriety checks during the August incident on Center Street because they did not detect any odor of alcohol and the sheriff's son was not exhibiting slurred speech or any signs of intoxication that would have prompted evaluation. Police followed Alex home following their investigation.

In April, Lewiston police determined, based on an examination of Alex's vehicle at a local fire hall, that there wasn't damage on his truck that was consistent with the damage caused to the car parked on Bridgeman Road.