A Del Webb Spruce Creek man found himself behind bars late Monday night after being accused of slamming his vehicle into one internet café and then driving to another one for a cup of coffee.
A Belleview Police officer was called to Stryker Fish Games, located at 10851 S. Hwy. 441, after being told that the driver of a silver Subaru SUV had backed his vehicle into the internet café building and then driven away. The officer spoke with a security officer at the business who told him that the driver, later identified as 74-year-old Bartholomew Patrick Crowe Jr., had driven to the nearby Players Club Fish Games, located at 10903 S. Hwy. 441, a report states.
The officer responded to the second internet café and located the silver Subaru in the parking lot. He approached the driver’s side of the vehicle and saw an open bottle of Smirnoff vodka that was about “80% consumed” on the passenger seat. He spoke with a security officer and a witness who said that Crowe was inside the internet café.
The officer walked inside and spotted Crowe at the concession stand ordering coffee. He asked him to step outside and Crowe confirmed that he owned the Subaru SUV. The officer also asked Crowe about the open bottle of vodka and he said he had “consumed two sips” from the container, the report says, adding that the officer could smell alcohol coming from Crowe’s breath.
The officer invited Crowe to participate in field sobriety exercises, which he agreed to do. He failed all three and after the security officer confirmed that he had seen Crowe driving his vehicle, he was placed under arrest and transported to the Marion County Jail, the report says.
Crowe refused to speak with the officer but did agree to provide breath samples that showed .166 and .177 blood alcohol content. He was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and was being held on $1,000 bond with no court date yet set, jail records show.
