The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
A Sumpter County woman accused of driving under the influence of alcohol allegedly tried to get an officer to place a 25-cent bet on the elevated the level her breathalyzer test would display after she blew into the machine.
On August 19, 62-year-old Mary Westerlund was reportedly sitting in her vehicle near her residence in The Villages retirement community in central Florida.
A passerby spotted the woman in her Acura and they thought she appeared to be intoxicated. The Sumpter County police were notified to report the incident.
Deputies dispatched to the given location and reportedly came across Westerlund while she was still seated in her car with the engine turned off.
When one of the deputies tried to initiate a conversation with Westerlund it was reported that the woman, who allegedly reeked of spirits, started shouting at the officer and became rather uncooperative.
It was determined that Westerlund would be detained and taken to the station in order to administer sobriety testing, and while placing the woman in the police car she allegedly made it difficult for the officer by struggling.
After they reached the county jail and began testing Westerlund, the authorities reported that she did not follow instructions about how to perform the activities, and when she attempted to carry them out she did so unsuccessfully.
Westerlund was asked to consent to a breathalyzer test to try to ascertain how much alcohol she had purportedly consumed. As the technician began to administer the test the suspect allegedly tried to make a bet for a quarter that she would have a blood-alcohol content of .190.
The test was given twice, and though the officer declined to place the wager, Westerlund’s readings allegedly showed results of .229 and .210.
Westerlund was charged for suspicion of driving under the influence, and resisting arrest. She was released from custody on Saturday after paying a $3,000 bond.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a DUI, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.