A Eustis man was arrested for DUI after admitting to drinking several beers a few hours before being stopped for following other vehicles too closely.
An officer responded to assist with a traffic stop initiated on a white Chevrolet Traverse at the intersection of State Road 44 and Donna Vista Place around 10:03 p.m. Wednesday, according to an arrest report from the Florida Highway Patrol. While enroute to the scene, the officer was advised that the driver, later identified as 60-year-old Leonel Ruiz, appeared to be possibly impaired.
The officer arrived at the scene around 10 minutes later wherein he contacted Ruiz, who was also the registered owner of the vehicle. The officer introduced himself and asked for his driver’s license. Instead of handing it over, Ruiz extended his right hand outward and asked the officer to hold it, the report said.
The officer repeated his request for the license, and Ruiz began searching through his wallet. At that point, the officer was told by another that they had already taken Ruiz’ license. The officer then asked Ruiz if he knew the reason for the traffic stop, to which he said he did not. However, the other officer on scene stated the stop was initiated because Ruiz was following another vehicle too closely, the report said.
Throughout the interaction with Ruiz, the officer observed small indicators of impairment. His speech was heavily slurred, and the officer could detect a noticeable order of an alcoholic drink coming from his person. This led the officer to ask Ruiz if he had any alcoholic beverages prior to driving. Ruiz admitted to having “two to three Coronas” around 5 or 6 p.m., the report said.
The officer then asked Ruiz to get out of his vehicle and walk toward the front of the patrol vehicle for further evaluation. As Ruiz exited the vehicle, he was extremely unsteady on his feet. He had difficulty keeping his balance and needed assistance to keep from falling, the report said.
Given Ruiz’ unsteadiness and the safety concerns associated with it, the officer determined his normal faculties were impaired and arrested him for DUI. He transported Ruiz to Lake County Jail, during which he became emotional, the report said.
Ruiz cried and made spontaneous utterances. These included apologies and admitting he should not be driving. Additionally, the odor and presence of an alcoholic beverage was present in the patrol vehicle that was not there prior to him getting in, the report said.
Upon arrival at the jail, the officer read Ruiz the implied consent warning. He agreed to provide a sample of his breath and was given the opportunity to perform field sobriety exercises, which he ultimately said he could not do. The results of the breath tests were 0.226 and 0.221, the report said.
Ruiz was charged with DUI (second offense). The native of Cuba was released from jail after posting $2,000 bond.