An unlicensed driver from Mexico was arrested for driving without a license after being stopped for not wearing a seatbelt in Wildwood.
A deputy conducted a traffic stop at the Wildwood Community Center, located at 6501 Powell Road at around 12:30 p.m. Saturday, according to an arrest report from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. The driver of a tan GMC pickup truck, later identified as 22-year-old Lizandro Garcia Paredes, was not wearing a seatbelt.
The vehicle had been stopped at a red light on Powell Road and County Road 44A. The deputy pulled up next to the vehicle and saw Garcia Paredes not wearing a seatbelt. The driver’s side window was down, and the view was unobscured, the report said.
Upon approaching Garcia Paredes, the deputy identified himself and explained the reason for the stop. He asked for his driver’s license in English and Spanish, to which Garcia Paredes handed over his Mexican passport and ID. He did not provide a driver’s license, the report said.
The deputy asked again for the driver’s license, but Garcia Paredes said “no.” He was then detained pending further investigation. A check of his name and date of birth brought back no records of a driver’s license, the report said.
With the assistance of a Spanish-speaking deputy, Garcia Paredes was read his rights. He understood but did not wish to speak. No questions were asked as a result, the report said.
Garcia Paredes was arrested on charge of operate motor vehicle without valid license. The native of Mexico was transported to Sumter County Jail and released after posting $150 bond.