A Webster man was arrested after being stopped with open beer cans and refusing to get out of his vehicle.
A bystander approached a deputy on patrol about a vehicle he had seen being driven as if the person behind the wheel was drunk at 6:15 p.m. Tuesday, according to an arrest report from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. The driver, 34-year-old Juan Carlos Tinoco-Fajardo, had pulled into Circle K at 2055 CR 48, Bushnell.
The deputy subsequently found the vehicle, described as a gray Nissan, as it left the gas station. He followed for about a quarter mile, watching it fail to stay in its lane, cross over the white fog line and nearly drive onto the grass shoulder. Based on this, he stopped the vehicle in the area of State Road 471 and County Road 714, the report said.
He then spoke with Tinoco-Fajardo and noticed the strong smell of alcohol coming from his person. He also had bloodshot, glassy eyes and slow, slurred speech. He repeatedly used a vape device, taking prolonged inhales, which seemed like an attempt to hide the odor of alcohol, the report said.
Another deputy arrived on scene to assist and talked to Tinoco-Fajardo as the other checked his information. He walked back to the vehicle to hear that Tinoco-Fajardo refused to get out. The deputies had to physically remove him from the vehicle, during which he pulled his arms away and refused to put his hands behind his back, the report said.
After his arrest, the deputies took an inventory of his vehicle. They discovered multiple unopened Modelo beer cans with condensation inside a cooler on the rear driver’s side floorboard. There were also empty cans with condensation in a plastic bag on the rear passenger-side floorboard, as well as another empty can that had spilled onto the front passenger-side floorboard, the report said.
Tinoco-Fajardo was transported to the Sumter County Detention Center to be booked, but he now refused to get out of the patrol vehicle. Detention staff had to physically force him from the vehicle. He later refused to participate in field sobriety exercises or to give a breath sample, the report said.
Additionally, a check of his criminal history showed a prior DUI conviction out of Sumter County on July 30, 2019, the report said.
Tinoco-Fajardo was charged with DUI, refusal to submit DUI testing and two counts of resist (obstruct without violence). He was released from jail after posting $3,500 bond.