A Villager arrested for the second time on a drunk driving charge has been sentenced in the most-recent case.
Diamantina M. Correia, 75, of the Village of Mallory Square, had been arrested back in 2010 on a charge of driving under the influence. However, her attorney was successful in bargaining the DUI charge down to reckless driving, according to Sumter County Court records. She paid a fine and some court costs.
The Portuguese-born Correia was spotted this past Dec. 14 driving a red Hyundai in the golf cart lane on Old Mill Run, according to an arrest report from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. Correia had “a thick tongue, with slurred speech and was lethargic,” the report indicated. Correia said she had been at Cody’s Original Roadhouse. She struggled through field sobriety exercises and at one point told the deputy, “Just take me to jail already.”
During the ride to the Sumter County Detention Center, Correia verbally chastised the deputy.
“Why are you arresting me? I am an old lady. I am not a criminal,” she said.
Correia suggested that the deputy could have simply driven her home.
Earlier this month in Sumter County Court, Correia pleaded no contest in the case. She will lose her driver’s license for six months and when she regains driving privileges, she will have an ignition interlock restriction on her vehicle for six months. She was also placed on probation for a year and was ordered to perform 80 hours of community service.
