A Fruitland Park man was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence when an officer found him sleeping in his backseat after drinking with friends.
An officer responded to a residence on Sunnyside Drive regarding a suspicious red Dodge Charger around 7:15 a.m. Sunday, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department. The vehicle was still running with 40-year-old Harry Bob Elcar “balled up” in the backseat.
The officer tapped Elcar’s feet several times before he eventually woke up, the report said. He then stepped out of the vehicle, smelling of alcohol. His balance was unsteady, and he used the vehicle for support. Looking at Elcar, the officer observed slurred speech; a “bank stare”; and bloodshot, glassy and watery eyes.
Elcar advised that he had been at Daytona Beach with his friends the previous day. He went to his friend’s house afterward, where he drank alcohol. He could not remember how much. He fell asleep before the officer got there, and he was going to drive home that day, the report said.
He subsequently agreed to participate in field sobriety exercises, although he did not follow instructions. His performance led the officer to conclude that he was under the influence. He later refused to provide a breath sample, the report said.
A review of Elcar’s driving history revealed one prior DUI conviction on July 24, 2024, the report said.
Elcar was arrested on charges of DUI and refusal to submit DUI testing. The native of the Marshall Islands was booked at the Lake County Jail with bond set at $3,500.