A homeless man in Clermont was arrested after interfering with officers trying to speak with his female companion.
Officers received information of a possible suspect matching the description from a theft case around 10:35 p.m. Sunday, according to an arrest report from the Clermont Police Department. The person of interest, 35-year-old Nelson Gonzalez Hernandez, was at the bar at the Crown Restaurant & Lounge, located at 1340 SR 50, Clermont.
The complainant advised that Gonzalez Hernandez was a regular who had been coming to the bar for a couple of months. He believed the photo posted by the CPD regarding the theft matched the man currently at the bar with a woman. The complainant confirmed the name on his tab and provided two possible vehicles, a white Hyundai Elantra and a Chevy Equinox, the report said.
At around 1 a.m. Monday, the complainant called an officer to advise that Gonzalez Hernandez and his companion got into a verbal altercation at the bar. Law enforcement was not needed, but Gonzalez Hernandez was “cut off.” The complainant called again shortly after to say the pair left the bar with beers in their hands, the report said.
Officers in the area saw the two leaving the building. Gonzalez Hernandez walked through the parking lot until he reached an Elantra, which turned on and started to drive away. His companion walked over, too, the report said.
The officers stopped the vehicle right before it left the parking lot. Approaching the window, they saw an open Corona in the cup holder. Gonzalez Hernandez then handed over his driver’s license, which had not been valid since July 6, the report said.
The report noted that his companion appeared to be emotional and crying. When asked about the beer, Gonzalez Hernandez stated it was his and poured its contents out the window. The officers were attempting to talk to the two occupants, although Gonzalez Hernandez mostly spoke Spanish and his companion only spoke Spanish.
One of the officers was trying to use a translator with Gonzalez Hernandez while the other spoke to his companion. However, Gonzalez Hernandez said something to her in Spanish, and her demeanor changed from slightly to extremely nervous. She was asked to write down her phone number several times, but she stopped listening and kept her attention on Gonzalez Hernandez, the report said.
The officers tried to get him to stop interrupting, and he did not. They motioned for her to step out of the vehicle, only for him to lean over and speak faster to her. After about 30 seconds, an officer opened the passenger door and motioned for her to get out so she could make independent decisions, the report said.
Gonzalez Hernandez was subsequently handcuffed and placed in the back of a patrol vehicle. He would not put his foot in the vehicle when commanded to do so, the report said.
The native of Cuba was ultimately arrested for resisting an officer without violence. He was booked at the Lake County Substation and released after posting $1,000 bond.