A 30-year-old man without a valid driver’s license was arrested after he reportedly crashed his vehicle into a building last Sunday night.
Mario Francisco Mendez Ton, of 2600 SW 10th St. Apt. 609, was charged with DUI, leaving the scene of an accident with property damage and driving on a suspended/revoked driver’s license for a previous DUI.
At around 9:15 p.m., an Ocala Police officer responded to the area of the Crazy Cucumber, 4414 SW College Road, after the report of a crash involving a vehicle and building. As the officer arrived at the scene, he observed a black pickup truck with front-end damage that appeared to be dragging something that was struck to the front bumper, according to the police report.
A bystander approached the officer and pointed towards the suspicious truck and the officer followed it eastbound onto State Road 200. The truck turned right onto SW 43rd Street with its tires squealing. The officer initiated a traffic stop and the truck stopped in the parking lot of 4647 SW 40th Avenue, the report said.
The officer ordered the driver, Mendez, to step out of the vehicle but the driver’s side door was stuck. After a second officer helped him get out, Mendez said he did not speak English. Through another officer who was translating, he said he only had two shots of liquor and did not remember hitting the building. Mendez said he didn’t have a driver’s license and was only able to provide a Mexico identification card, according to the report.
A records search showed Mendez had a Florida’s driver’s license but it was suspended indefinitely and had been revoked as of Feb. 15, 2018 for a prior DUI incident. The translating officer said she was able to smell alcohol on Mendez and his eyes appeared to be glassy, the report said.
After determining the truck was the vehicle involved in the crash, the officers put Mendez through a series of field sobriety exercises, which he failed. He was taken to the Marion County Jail, where he refused to submit a breath sample for testing. Mendez is being held on $13,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Marion County Court on Dec. 27.