When a McAllen police officer asked a Mercedes police officer how much he had to drink, the man replied “Not enough,” according to the probable cause affidavit for his arrest.
Police arrested 39-year-old John Henry Vega early Thursday morning and charged him with driving while intoxicated.
Mercedes police have placed Vega on administrative leave without pay pending an internal investigation.
McAllen police pulled Vega over about 2:55 a.m. that day after an officer spotted the lifted Ford F-150 he was driving stopped at a green light at the intersection of Robin Avenue and 10th Street.
“Furthermore, I saw another truck behind the Ford have to apply brakes and stop its commute,” the arresting officer wrote in a report.
During the traffic stop in the 7100 block of North 10th Street, police said Vega appeared to be confused and squinted his eyes and tilted his head to the right as the officer approached him, according to the affidavit which also said the officer immediately smelled a strong odor of alcohol.
“Furthermore, I could see a can of ‘Sex on the Beach’ alcoholic beverage placed in the center console with an open lid,” the affidavit said.
The officer said in the report that he asked Vega whether there were any mechanical issues that would have impacted his driving, to which he said no, according to the report.
“I asked John for his driver license. Upon the request, John grabbed a wallet from his rear pocket,” the affidavit said. “I saw John fumbling through his wallet while he looked for his driver license. John grabbed a debit card and attempted to hand it to me but then realized the card was not his driver license; John placed the card back in his pocket.”
The report said Vega then handed the officer his driver’s license and a Mercedes Police Department identification card.
The officer said that Vega told him he was coming from a bar on Second Street and admitted to drinking alcohol, but couldn’t say how much he drank.
“I asked John how much he had to drink to which John replied ‘Not enough,” the report read, noting that Vega spoke in a heavy slurred speech and mumbled his words. “I continuously had trouble understanding John due to his slurred speech.”
Because the officer believed Vega was intoxicated, he asked him to step out of the vehicle so that the officer could perform standardized field sobriety tests, according to the affidavit.
“John stated multiple times he would not get out of the vehicle,” the affidavit said.
The officer said in the report that he repeatedly asked Vega to step out of the vehicle.
“John denied by telling me multiple times he would not get off the vehicle and continued to hold his Police ID card in his hand angled at me,” the report stated. “I believed John was purposely showing me his police credentials in an effort to persuade me to let him go.”
However, after “continuously pleading,” Vega exited the vehicle, but declined to participate in the standardized field sobriety tests.
The officer then placed him under arrest and reported finding a 16-ounce Clubtails “Sex on the Beach” can that said 10% alcohol and was missing approximately 3/4 of the liquid.
The report also said Vega declined to provide a specimen and police obtained a blood search warrant.
“John further refused to sign any documentation,” the report read.
Vega bailed out of the Hidalgo County Adult Detention Center on a $2,000 bond the same day of his arrest.
