Northport Police Report: Asleep at the Wheel...on the Lawn

The following was taken from the Northport Police crime blotter. An arrest does not indicate a conviction as all persons are presumed innocent until, and if, proven guilty in a court of law.

Eric George, 49, of Huntington was arrested on Jan. 8 around 1 a.m. and charged with DWI and first degree aggravated unlicensed operation after he was allegedly found asleep at the wheel of a running car with his foot on the break.

An officer responding to the report of a suspicious vehicle driving erratically found George in his car on the lawn of 53 Franklin Street, asleep. George allegedly had his foot on the brake pedal with the car in drive. The officer woke him and told him to put the car in park and turn the it off. After several attempts, he finally turned the engine off with the car still in drive.

When the officer asked George to produce a driver's license, he repeatedly fumbled his wallet and its contents and continually searched through his wallet, passing over his New York State ID card numerous times.

While the officer waited for George to locate his identification, a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage was detected. When the undersigned requested George to step out of the vehicle, he was allegedly observed to be extremely unsteady on his feet and had blood shot and glassy eyes. When asked to perform several field sobriety tests, George repeatedly refused to attempt them and said "no."

He was placed under arrest for Driving While Intoxicated and transported back to the Northport Police Department Headquarters for processing. His car, a 2011 BMW, was seized after the arrest.

• A Hillside Place resident's tires were slashed on Jan. 9 by an unknown person.

• A Nautilus Avenue resident told police on Jan. 9 that she saw a White Jeep Liberty dragging his or her garbage pails down the street around 8 p.m.

• Christina Ortega, 27 of Northport was arrested on Jan. 10 and charged with failure to stop at stop sign and failure to install a required ignition interlock device in her car. She was pulled over after an officer allegedly observed her drive through a stop sign on Woodbine Avenue. She was transported back to HQ and released on $100 bail.

• A woman reported on Jan. 4 that someone sideswiped her car in front of the preschool on Lewis Road and then took off. An unavailable witness said a white import type car hit the vehicle, the passenger got out, checked the damage to the offending car, and then drove away.

• Someone reported two men lying in the middle of the road on June Ave around 5:30 a.m. on Jan. 6. Police found the pair walking down the road a short while later and they said they had come from a party and where on their way home.

• A hypodermic needle was found on the ground on Soper Avenue on Jan. 7 and disposed of by police.

For questions about this blotter, contact the editor at Leah.Bush@patch.com.