Norwalk Man Arrested On DUI And Weapon Charges In Westport

WESTPORT, CT — A 40-year-old Norwalk man was arrested on DUI and weapons charges early Saturday, after Connecticut State Police said he was driving "grossly below the speed limit" on I-95 in Westport, and had a 4.5-inch knife in his car.

Carlos Mondragon was pulled over by a state police trooper at about 3:30 a.m., following reports that he was not only driving too slow for the thruway, but was also driving "all over the road, swerving from lane to lane."

"As responding Troopers approached the vehicle's location, traffic was observed to be backed up with a string of vehicles traveling with their hazard lights activated," state police wrote in a news release.

A Nissan sedan, driven by Mondragon, was at the head of the group of vehicles, failing to maintain a lane and traveling under 40 miles per hour.

"Upon activating their emergency lights and siren to initiate a traffic stop, the operator was slow to comply, reducing their speed to approximately 5 mph prior to coasting to a stop in the right shoulder just south of exit 17," state police said.

After pulling Mondragon over, troopers "observed multiple signs of impairment to include the odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from Mondragon's person, slurred speech and bloodshot eyes."

Mondragon failed Standardized Field Sobriety Testing, and was taken into custody.

A subsequent search of Mondragon's vehicle revealed "a fixed blade knife bearing a blade of approximately 4.5 inches," which was discovered between the driver's seat and center console near the seatbelt buckle.

Mondragon was charged with the following:

• Operating Motor Vehicle at Slow Speed
• Illegal Operation of a Motor Vehicle Under the Influence of Alcohol/Drugs
• Failure to Maintain Proper Lane-Limited Access Highway
• Illegal Possession of Weapon in a Motor Vehicle

Mondragon was released after posting a $1,500 bond, and he is scheduled to appear at Stamford Superior Court on Feb. 18.