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Staff report
MICANOPY, Fla. – Julio Cesar Hernandez-Lopez, 27, of Bradenton, was arrested yesterday morning after allegedly hitting another car and then leaving the scene on I-75; his blood alcohol level was reportedly more than double the legal limit.
At about 9:59 a.m. on Sunday, a Florida Highway Patrol Trooper responded to a hit-and-run crash at mile marker 375 on I-75. Dispatchers advised the trooper that callers had reported a car in the wood line and a driver who had fled on foot. Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputies located Hernandez-Lopez south of the crash at about 10:15 a.m.
Deputies reportedly found two other Hispanic males climbing the overpass hillside onto SW Wacahoota Road; all three men were interviewed separately by a Spanish-speaking trooper.
The trooper reported that there were three cold beers in the front seat of the car, and Hernandez-Lopez was identified as the driver. Deputies learned that Hernandez-Lopez was arrested last month in Manatee County for driving under the influence and driving without a valid license and released on cash bond of $240.
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The trooper noted a strong smell of alcohol after placing Hernandez-Lopez in his patrol car and reported signs of impairment. Breath tests reportedly measured at .199 and .181 g/210L, compared to a legal limit of 0.08 g/210L.
Post Miranda, the trooper reported that his only statements were “I speak no English” and a request for troopers to take him to Mexico.
Hernandez-Lopez has been charged with leaving the scene of a crash with property damage, driving under the influence, and driving without a valid license. Judge Thomas Jaworski set bail at $155,000, with the requirement that Hernandez-Lopez be fitted with a Transdermal Alcohol Monitor if released.
Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
