Arlington Man Faces Third Drunken Driving Charge

ARLINGTON, MA – An Arlington man was charged with his third OUI following a traffic stop in Somerville Saturday night. An officer pulled over 39-year-old Hinmer Rodriguez around 6 p.m. after seeing his truck pass by with the front passenger tire completely flat and the metal rim scraping the ground, according to the police report.

Rodriguez stopped in the right lane of Alewife Brook Parkway and got out of the car into a busy lane of traffic, the report stated.

"Rodriguez, who appeared unsteady on his feet, smiled at me and shrugged, gesturing at the truck," the officer wrote. "Rodriguez then walked towards my cruiser and into traffic."

The officer ordered Rodriguez back into his truck and asked for his license and registration. Rodriguez was "very slow" in his response, as though "deliberately stalling for time," according to the police report. The officer described him as smelling moderately like alcohol and having bloodshot and glassy eyes.

Police determined Rodriguez's license was suspended due to a prior OUI conviction and asked him to undergo a field test. He also had a blood alcohol content of 0.15, nearly twice the legal limit, when first tested, according to police. His BAC was 0.14 the second time it was tested, the report stated.

Rodriguez was arrested and charged with operating under the influence of liquor (third offense), operating a motor vehicle with license suspended for OUI and negligent operation of a motor vehicle.

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