A Maryland man living in the Village of Chitty Chatty was arrested after he was found passed out in his vehicle at Colony Cottage Recreation Center.
An employee at the 7-Eleven at Colony Plaza at about 2 p.m. Friday spotted a silver 2015 Honda Accord with Maryland license plates in the parking lot and it appeared a man in the vehicle was passed out, according to an arrest report from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. She checked on the man who was “very irritable.” He initially told her his car “had died.” He started the vehicle, grabbed a large vodka bottle from under the seat, took a drink and put the bottle back, the arrest report said. He drove off.
A 911 caller reported seeing the vehicle at Colony Cottage Recreation Center.
Deputies found 62-year-old James Phillip Stinemire in the vehicle and “his speech was extremely slurred.” He initially indicated he lived in Maryland, but later said he was living in The Villages.
He was asked to participate in field sobriety exercises, but he told deputies, “I would rather call my girlfriend.” A large vodka bottle was spotted in the vehicle.
Stinemire struggled through field sobriety exercises and provided breath samples that measured .371 and .367 blood alcohol content. A criminal history check revealed he had been convicted of driving under the influence in 2014 in Indianapolis, Ind.
He provided an address of 1039 Wilder Path in the Village of Chitty Chatty. The $591,300 home was purchased last year by a woman.
He was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence and booked at the Sumter County Detention Center. He was released after posting $1,000 bond.
