A drunk driving suspect improperly parked in a turn lane was arrested with Corona beer in his vehicle.
An officer spotted the vehicle at about 10 p.m. Tuesday parked in the turn lane on U.S. Hwy. 27/441 at Longview Avenue, according to an arrest report from the Lady Lake Police Department.
The driver, later identified as 41-year-old Fermin Tlapechco of Apopka, was sleeping. When he was roused, the officer realized there was a language barrier and called in a Spanish-speaking officer from the Fruitland Park Police Department.
It appeared Tlapechco had been drinking and there were four bottles of Corona beer on the passenger side within easy reach. He was not wearing shoes, with one foot in a sock and the other barefoot. Tlapechco said he’d consumed 25 beers since 5 p.m. that day.
The native of Mexico struggled through field sobriety exercises. He refused to provide a breath sample. He was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence. He was booked at the Lake County Jail on $2,000 bond.