A Leesburg woman had her 4-year-old son strapped in a car seat in her vehicle when she was arrested Tuesday night on DUI and drug charges.
An officer responded to the Mobil gas station at 4601 State Road 48 after receiving a report of a dancing woman in a red 2014 Kia – later identified as 41-year-old Brandy Michelle Wendland – who appeared to be under the influence of narcotics or alcohol. The caller also said there was a child in the back seat, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department.
Using directions provided by the caller, the officer was able to locate Wendland while she was stopped at a red light on County Road 33. She turned northbound on U.S. Highway 27 when the light turned green, giving the officer the opportunity to follow her and observe how she failed to maintain a proper lane. After Wendland swayed from line to line and almost struck a vehicle in the right lane, the officer initiated a traffic stop, the report said.
Wendland turned onto Connell Road and threw a brown bag out of the front passenger window. She then stopped, and the officer was able to find the bag, which contained a 25-ounce can of Rolling Rock beer. The can was cold to the touch and had condensation on the outside, according to the report.
As the officer spoke with Wendland, he noticed her eyes were bloodshot and glassy and she had alcohol on her breath. Another officer observed an open container and multiple cans of beer spread throughout the vehicle. Wendland’s 4-year-old son was in a car seat in the back of the vehicle, the report said.
The officer concluded Wendland was driving under the influence and she was taken into custody. Field sobriety exercises were conducted at the Leesburg police station, and breath samples taken resulted in readings of 0.185 and 0.190 – more than twice the legal limit, according to the report.
In addition, a search of Wendland’s vehicle revealed a cigarette box that contained a small plastic bag of green leafy substance. It weighed about 0.8 grams and tested positive for marijuana.
Wendland was charged with DUI (accompanied by person under 18 years of age) and possession of marijuana. She was transported to the Lake County Jail with bond set at $2,000. Wendland is due to appear in Lake County Court on Oct. 11.
