A homeless lawn care laborer was arrested just before noon Monday in Summerfield after a detective stopped him for pulling a trailer with no visible license tag.
Martin Hernandez, 42, was driving a white 2001 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck pulling a lawn equipment trailer when he was stopped near the entrance to Del Webb Spruce Creek on U.S. Hwy. 27/441. A short time later, a deputy was called to the scene to assist in the traffic stop because Hernandez spoke very little English.
The deputy conducted a conversation with Hernandez using Google Translate, a sheriff’s office report states, adding that Hernandez confirmed he could understood and could answer the questions he was being asked.
Hernandez told the deputy he wasn’t a legal U.S. citizen and has never had a driver’s license. He said he was driving the vehicle to go use a nearby restroom, the report says.
Hernandez said his employer, Dan Davis Lawn Care, owned the truck he was driving. And he told the deputy he had been previously arrested for driving without a license.
Hernandez was transported to the Marion County Jail and charged with operating a motor vehicle without a valid license. He was being held on $500 bond.
Marion County Jail records show that Hernandez is no stranger to the legal system, having been arrested in August 2010 for driving without a license and in September 2003 for battery.