FRESNO, Calif. (KMPH) -
Fresno Police have a message for habitual DUI offenders: don't get behind the wheel if your license is suspended. 43-year-old Raymundo Rodriguez isn't supposed to be driving. In mid-July he was arrested and charged with committing his 4th DUI offense. His license was suspended but Wednesday night police watched him get behind the wheel.
Raymundo Rodriguez put in a long day at the auto repair shop he manages in Clovis. After observing him driving through the streets of Clovis on a suspended license, Fresno Police moved in.
Within seconds Rodriguez saw the patrol car in his rear view mirror and realized his day was going to get longer. "I was coming to see you guys tomorrow morning. Why are you driving you were arrested already once? I got no way to get home. I got nobody to pick me up. We just arrested you and impounded your vehicle you know you're not supposed to be driving. I know."
Rodriguez claims he knows the rules but he was caught again breaking them. His newest offense is felony probation violation. Detective Mark Van Wyhe says it's likely Rodriguez's Chevy van will spend more time in the impound lot than he will spend in jail. "Just because they're not being held in the Fresno County jail we've gotta keep doing our jobs. We've got to take their vehicles away from them. We've gotta find a way to keep them off the road."
After being cuffed, Rodriguez summed up his evening in one word: "Wow!"
Detective Van Wyhe says if Rodriguez didn't learn from his first DUI offense, police can't take the chance he won't be tempted to drink and drive again.
