At about 10:08 pm Friday night, a Turlock Police officer near the intersection of East Linwood Avenue and Golf Road, Turlock, observed a vehicle violate the California Vehicle Code, so he made a traffic stop on it.
The officer made contact with the vehicle’s driver, later identified as Antonio Garcia Salas, 30, of Turlock, and noticed that he was exhibiting objective symptoms of being under the influence, so he removed him from the vehicle.
The officer asked Salas if he would be willing to participate in standardized field sobriety tests. Salas originally agreed, but only participated in one, refusing to participate in the other two. The officer then asked Salas if he would be willing to blow into a preliminary alcohol screening device, which he agreed to and did.
Ultimately, based on the objective symptoms Salas was exhibiting, his performance in the standardized field sobriety tests he just completed, the results of the preliminary alcohol screening test, his statements, and the totality of the circumstances, the officer determined that Salas was under the influence of alcohol.
Salas was arrested and transported to a local hospital for a blood draw as required by California’s implied consent law. The results of the blood draw revealed that Salas had a blood alcohol content of .08 or greater.
Salas was booked into the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, driving with a blood alcohol content of .08 or greater, and driving without a valid driver’s license. He was also issued an administrative driver’s license suspension order by the California Department of Motor Vehicles and his vehicle was impounded
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