A drunk driving suspect with a female companion in his vehicle told law enforcement officers they ought to catch “murderers” instead of an “old man” looking for romance.
James Cleo Timmons, 63, of Wildwood, had been driving a black Dodge pickup shortly after 8 p.m. Monday westbound on County Road 44-A when he was caught on radar traveling at 47 miles per hour in a 35 mph zone, according to an arrest report from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. His eyes were bloodshot and he spoke with “extremely slurred speech.”
Timmons initially claimed he had consumed two beers, but later admitted he “drank several beers and cups of liquor” over a two-day period, the report said. He became “agitated” as he was questioned and asked why the deputies “weren’t out catching murderers” rather than targeting “an old man” who was trying to take a woman home “to get some *****,” using a slang term for a woman’s genitalia made infamous in 2016 by then-candidate Donald Trump.
Timmons struggled during field sobriety exercises and provided breath samples that registered .115 and .116 blood alcohol content.
A check revealed Timmons had three previous DUI convictions and two convictions for refusal to submit to a breath test.
He was taken into custody and booked at the Sumter County Detention Center on a charge of driving under the influence. Bond was set at $15,000.
