Petaluma police follow debris trail to DUI suspect

After following a trail of debris, tire marks and leaked vehicle fluids to a car stopped in a parking lot, Petaluma police arrested a driver Monday on suspicion of his fourth charge for driving under the influence of alcohol in 10 years, according to an announcement from police.

Petaluma Police Officer Corie Joerger noticed the debris while on patrol in the parking lot of an Orchard Supply Hardware store at 5300 Old Redwood Highway shortly before noon yesterday. Joerger reportedly noticed a large amount of brush and debris near the entrance to the lot, along with tire marks along a nearby sidewalk and a trail of apparent vehicle fluid leading to the underside of a white Ford Mustang.

The driver, 30-year-old Petaluma resident Victor Luis Rodriguez, reportedly exited the driver’s seat as Joerger approached, using the side of the car for balance. Rodriguez told police that he had a flat tire, and was waiting for a friend to arrive to help him change it.

Police said Rodriguez smelled strongly of alcohol, and that he admitted to consuming between eight and 12 beers at a friend’s house prior to driving. He was said to perform poorly in field sobriety tests before a breath test showed him to have a blood alcohol level twice the legal limit.

Rodriguez was on felony probation for three prior DUI convictions in the past decade, and had a suspended driver’s license, according to police. He was booked into Sonoma County Jail on charges of felony violation of probation, felony DUI and driving on a suspended driver’s license with no possibility of bail.

(Contact Eric Gneckow at eric.gneckow@arguscourier.com. On Twitter @Eric_Reports)