A Leesburg woman had her dog in her vehicle when she was arrested on DUI and drug charges Tuesday night.
A Lake County sheriff’s deputy responded to a complaint of an intoxicated female trespassing at 10550 Holloway Drive shortly before 7 p.m., according to an arrest report from the sheriff’s office. While on the way, the deputy was advised the woman, later identified as 56-year-old Ann Francis Visscher, had left in a black Audi towards the exit to U.S. Highway 441.
As the deputy entered the subdivision, he observed the Audi and decided to follow it. He watched the vehicle drive north and fail to stop at or before the stop bar at the stop sign for College Drive and Silver Lake Drive. The deputy performed a traffic stop, during which Visscher immediately got out of her vehicle and began walking into the roadway, the report said.
Visscher was redirected back to her vehicle but could not provide her driver’s license, registration or insurance information. The only other occupant was Visscher’s dog, according to the report.
During this interaction, the deputy smelled the odor of alcoholic beverages on Visscher’s breath. She initially consented to field sobriety exercises after the deputy expressed concerns about her possibly being impaired. However, Visscher could not understand instructions, continued to talk over the deputy and began exercises before he could explain them. When she tried to perform the walk and turn without full instructions, Visscher was unstable on her feet and used a wide stance to steady herself, the report said.
The deputy tried to administer the exercises on the sidewalk adjacent to the roadway away from traffic and to block the wind. While explaining them, he again smelled alcohol on Visscher’s breath, according to the report.
Visscher was then transported to the Lake County Jail to complete the booking process. She initially consented to providing a breath sample but ultimately refused to provide after being read the Implied Consent statement, the report said.
A search of Visscher’s vehicle revealed a small glass container containing a green leafy substance that tested positive for marijuana. The substance weighed less than 20 grams and was found on the passenger side floorboard near Visscher’s purse. Visscher later admitted to smoking marijuana and drinking champagne prior to being stopped, according to the report.
The California native was charged with DUI and possession of marijuana. Her bond was set at $2,000.