A man from Mexico was arrested with an open beer for driving without a license.
Police observed a white Toyota sedan traveling in the area of South Dixie Avenue and Palm Avenue at around 8:45 p.m. Tuesday, according to an arrest report from the Fruitland Park Police Department. The officer ran the vehicle’s license plate number through a database and discovered the registration expired in December of last year.
The officer initiated a traffic stop and asked 29-year-old Usias Gonzalez-Diaz for his license. Gonzalez-Diaz gave the officer his Mexican driver’s license and a Mexican passport. The officer then remembered that he had stopped Gonzalez-Diaz in January and had issued him a warning for driving without a license, the report said.
Gonzalez-Diaz stated he has lived in the United States for two years, the report said. When asked why he had not gotten a license, Gonzalez-Diaz stated he was unable to go to Orlando to get it. He also stated that he remembered being stopped for this issue about a month prior.
The report stated the officer searched the vehicle, at which point he found an open Modelo beer can. It had been concealed under a shirt that was covering the back portion of the front passenger seat. The can still contained a liquid that smelt of alcohol.
The Mexican native was arrested and issued a criminal citation for never having a driver’s license. He was also issued civil citations for the opened alcohol container and expired registration less than six months. Gonzalez-Diaz was transported to the Lake County Jail and released after posting $500 bond.
