A Leesburg man was arrested on a drunk driving charge after he was pulled over in a pickup without a license plate, apparently removed by his angry wife.
Police spotted a blue Ford truck with no license plate attached at around 12:59 a.m. Tuesday on North Bay Street and Orange Avenue, according to an arrest report from the Eustis Police Department. A traffic stop was initiated at the intersection of South Bay Street and Lemon Avenue.
An officer spoke to the driver, 48-year-old Norberto Davila, and explained the reason for the stop. Davila advised that his wife must have taken the plate off after an argument. While speaking to Davila, the officer could smell the strong, distinct odor of alcohol on his breath, the report said.
Davila said that he was coming from Crossroads 44, a bar in Eustis, and he had two beers to drink that night. The officer observed Davila’s watery eyes as they spoke. He then asked Davila to step out of the vehicle as another officer arrived at the scene to assist, the report said.
The officer asked Davila if he would be willing to partake in standard field sobriety exercises, to which he agreed, the report said. The assisting officer turned on his side lights to provide light for the parking lot they had stopped in. Davila swayed from left to right as he walked to the exercise area.
Davila’s performance during the exercises led the officers to believe that he was under the influence of alcohol. Breath tests resulted in readings of .157 and .154 blood alcohol content. At this point the passenger, who had also been drinking, stated she would call a friend and have herself and the truck picked up, the report said.
The New Jersey native was arrested and charged with DUI first offense. He was also issued a citation regarding the license plate. He was transported to the Lake County Jail and released after posting $1,000 bond.
