A Wildwood man without a driver’s license was arrested for drunk driving after police found him asleep at a red light.
Police responded to a situation involving a man sleeping in a red van at a red light at the intersection of West North Boulevard and U.S. Highway 27 around 3:36 a.m. Saturday, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department.
Upon arrival at the scene, officers observed 40-year-old Jose Luis Martinez-Serna sleeping in the driver’s seat of the van. The gear for the vehicle was in drive with Martinez-Serna’s foot on the break. The front and rear doors were locked, the report said.
The officers then knocked on the front and rear driver-side windows, causing Martinez-Serna to suddenly wake. He opened the door and put the vehicle in park when officers commanded him to do so, the report said.
One of the officers spotted two white Modelo cans of beer in the cupholder between the driver and passenger seats. There was also an unopened Modelo beer on the floorboard between the driver’s seat and the door. The officer instructed Martinez-Serna to exit the vehicle as he placed the empty cans on the floor of the back seat, according to the report.
Martinez-Serna’s breath reeked of an unknown alcoholic beverage as he identified himself to the police. His eyes were bloodshot and glassy, and he used the vehicle for support as he explained he was coming back from dancing in Orlando after having two beers. During this conversation, three more empty cans were found inside the vehicle, the report said.
Police asked Martinez-Serna to participate in field sobriety exercises, to which he agreed. His performance during the exercises led the officers to conclude that he was driving while impaired. As a result, he was arrested and transported to the Leesburg Police Department. While at the department, Martinez-Serna submitted two breath samples that both registered alcohol levels .080, according to the report..
A computer records check revealed that Martinez-Serna did not have a driver’s license and that he never had one. He said he has been living in the United States for about nine years, the report said.
The Mexico native was charged with DUI and operating a motor vehicle without a driver’s license. He was transported to the Lake County Jail and released after posting $1,500 bond.
