A native of Venezuela was arrested for driving with a suspended license after being pulled over in The Villages.
Deputies stopped 48-year-old Karen Ortiz Hodge in a silver utility vehicle at the Village of Fenney around 3:50 p.m. Wednesday, according to an arrest report from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. A check of the vehicle’s tag had determined she did not have a valid license.
A check of her driving history showed she had received notice of a suspension on Jan. 13, with it going into effect on Feb. 2. She was then asked to step out of her vehicle, and she began to question what was going on. When told she was under arrest for driving with a suspended license, she stated she did not know it was suspended, the report said.
The deputy further explained that her license had been suspended due to an unpaid traffic fine, and Hodge claimed she paid it. However, she had already told a deputy about not making the payments, which she then denied saying, the report said.
Hodge was subsequently charged with driving while license suspended. The native of Venezuela was booked at the Sumter County Detention Center and released after posting $500 bond.