An 82-year-old Villager was arrested on a drunk driving charge after leaving the newly renovated Tierra Del Sol Bar & Grill.
Larry Van Parsons of the Village of Caroline was apparently heading home shortly before 11 p.m. Saturday when he had trouble with the entrance gate at Canal Street and Stillwater Trail, according to an arrest report from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. When a deputy arrived, Parsons’ blue Toyota was parked at the gate with its hazard lights flashing. The deputy tried to speak with Parsons, who had trouble with his windows. He ultimately rolled down the vehicle’s rear passenger window to speak to the deputy.
Parsons said he was “on his way home from Tierra Del Sol where he had a few drinks before heading home,” the report said. He said he’d consumed two “Ultra lite beers.” He told the deputy he suffers from heart issues and high blood pressure.
Parsons struggled through field sobriety exercises and provided breath samples that registered .139 and .142 blood alcohol content. He was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence. He was booked at the Sumter County Detention Center and released after posting $1,000 bond.
