An Ocala man was charged with DUI after a woman reported he took the keys to her vehicle and took off while drunk.
Shawn Henry Mathews, 34, of NE 36th Street, was also charged with driving with a suspended/revoked license. The woman told a Marion County sheriff’s deputy that she and Mathews had been arguing because he has a drinking problem and had been drinking all day, according to the sheriff’s office report.
The woman said Mathews took the keys to her vehicle and drove away. The deputy put out a be-on-the-lookout order (BOLO) for Mathews and located his vehicle driving northbound on NE 25th Avenue, passing the intersection of NE 35th Street, the report said.
The deputy conducted a traffic stop and observed Mathews had a slight odor of alcohol on his breath and was slurring his speech. Mathews admitted he knew his license was suspended and said he was driving to get away from the argument, according to the report.
Mathews failed a series of field sobriety tests and was taken to the Marion County Jail, where his breath-alcohol content was measured at .219 and .217 – more than twice the legal limit. Mathews is being held on $1,000 bond, and his next appearance in Marion County Court is set for Oct. 22.