A Leesburg woman on probation for substance possession was arrested for drunk driving after admitting to drinking an entire bottle of Tito’s Vodka.
Police responded to calls for service about a reckless driver, later identified as 40-year- old Michelle Lea Sabb, on Southeast 92nd Loop and Southeast 110th Street Road in Ocala at about 5:54 p.m. Tuesday, according to a probable cause affidavit from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
One caller stated they observed Sabb driving a gray Nissan into oncoming traffic while drinking something they could not describe, the affidavit said. Another caller advised he observed Sabb asleep on the steering wheel at the intersection of SE 92nd Loop and SE 110th Street Rd, which caused the horn to activate.
After arriving on scene, an officer met with Sabb while she was parked on the side of the road inside the vehicle in the driver’s seat. The officer demanded she step out of the vehicle, to which she complied, the affidavit said.
The officer smelled the strong odor of alcohol emitting from Sabb’s breath as he spoke to her. He also noticed she had blood shot eyes and was swaying while standing. She had to hold onto the car to steady herself, the affidavit said.
When asked how much she had to drink, Sabb advised that she had a lot of liquor. She stated she had drunk an entire bottle of “Tito’s” before leaving her house, indicating that it was about 750 MBL. Because of this, she was asked to participate in field sobriety exercises, the affidavit said.
Due to Sabb’s performance during the exercises, which included a lack of balance and outright refusals to try, the officer concluded she was too impaired to drive. Breath samples taken later showed results of 0.229 and 0.234. A search of Sabb’s vehicle revealed a Tito’s liquor bottle behind the passenger seat. This was unsealed and about halfway empty, the affidavit said.
A criminal history check revealed that Sabb was on probation for possession of controlled substance from November 2019 through November 2024. Because of this, she was found to be in violation of probation, the affidavit said.
Sabb was subsequently arrested on charge of DUI and violating probation. She was transported to Marion County Jail with bond set at $2,000. A court date has been set for Sept. 8.