A Leesburg woman was arrested for DUI with a 3-year-old boy in the car after showing signs of impairment during a traffic stop.
Officers responded to an anonymous complaint about a woman, later identified as 43-year-old Monica Denise Felton, who had been drinking alcohol and allegedly driving a silver Ford Edge near Tuskegee Street and Simmons Avenue around 8:50 p.m. Sunday, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department.
Upon arrival, the officers spotted a vehicle matching the given description headed south on Tuskegee Street. The vehicle made a left turn onto Simmons Avenue where it stopped on the left side of the road. An officer noted Felton got out of the vehicle on the driver’s side, the report said.
The officers noticed signs of apparent intoxication, including swaying and stumbling. Felton was detained due to her aggressive behavior toward law enforcement. She continually yelled profanities at the officers and tried to walk away from them, the report said.
Felton was ultimately un-detained and asked to participate in field sobriety exercises, to which she agreed. During this interaction, a strong odor of alcoholic beverage was detected coming from her breath. She appeared unsteady while walking and standing, and her eyes were glassy and watery, the report said.
During the second sobriety exercise, Felton stated she had an injury to her left foot that she claimed might prevent her from finishing. An additional exercise was administered based on this. She continued to ignore instructions and failed to follow multiple directives to complete the exercises, the report said.
Once the exercises were finished, the officers concluded that Felton was under the influence and took her to the LPD to collect a breath sample. She initially agreed but later revoked her consent. She later stated she was the one moving the vehicle and that she should not be charged with “DUI” but instead “DWI.” She stated she was “Drunk Walking Intoxicated,” the report said.
Additionally, the officer observed a 3-year-old boy in the backseat of the vehicle during the interaction with Felton. The Department of Children and Families was contacted and notified of this incident, the report said.
Felton was ultimately charged with DUI (accompanied by person under 18 years of age) and refuse to sign citation. She was transported to Lake County Jail and released after posting $3,000 bond.
She was also arrested in Nov. 2024 for spraying a neighbor with a stolen garden hose and in March 2023 for attacking a neighbor with a broom handle.