A Fruitland Park woman was arrested after police found her drunk and disoriented outside a fire station early Sunday.
Rebecah Lynn Farish, 30, was charged with disorderly intoxication and resisting arrest without violence after an officer observed her loitering outside Lake County Fire Rescue Station #53, located at 2505 Spring Lake Road in Fruitland Park at around 12:35 a.m., according to the arrest report from the Fruitland Park Police Department.
Farish appeared disheveled, as seen by her hair and smeared makeup around her eyes, as she started banging on the front door of the fire station. She was only wearing a long shirt and two different colored socks. The officer thought she was in distress and potentially needed medical attention, although the firefighters were not at the door, the report said.
Farish walked over as the officer parked the patrol vehicle. She said she was at the station to visit her father, who she claimed was the chief, and her cellphone was dead. The report noted that none of the firemen at the station knew who she was. Farish then urinated while standing up and talking to the officer, according to the report.
Farish appeared highly intoxicated, with slurred speech, unsteadiness on her feet, a strong odor of alcohol emitting from her breath, and glassy, watery eyes. Additionally, none of the information Farish provided made sense, as she skipped from one subject to another without answering questions, the report said.
At one point, Farish tried to leave and started walking down the street, However, due to her condition and the officer’s inability to positively identify her, she was escorted back off the roadway. Another officer then arrived to assist in helping Farish, who still wouldn’t say who she was, where she lived, or provide any other information. She refused to answer questions and repeated the same statement multiple times, according to the report.
Firefighters told police they were asleep when they heard knocking at the door. At first, they did not fully awaken, and the knocking continued all around the building. This caused them to change into their on-duty attire and come to the door to address the disturbance, the report said.
Meanwhile, Farish continued to act abrasive, going from yelling to crying to calm. She tried walking away multiple times during the encounter with police, subsequently becoming more unsteady on her feet. Due to concerns for her safety and her refusing to identify herself, she was detained, according to the report.
Farish began pulling away from law enforcement and tensing up despite multiple verbal commands to stop resisting. Additionally, when being placed in the patrol vehicle, she continued to be uncooperative by disobeying law enforcement commands. The report noted that Farish was carrying a pink water bottle, which was later discovered to contain alcohol based on the strong odor of alcohol from the liquid once it was dumped out.
Farish’s identity was confirmed through photo identification. She continued to be disruptive and abrasive during transport and upon arrival at the Lake County Jail, where corrections staff gave her multiple commands that she refused to follow. Farish was eventually released after posting $1,500 bond.