On Saturday, Dec. 24, at 10:10 p.m. officers were on patrol in the area of Centinela Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard when they saw a gray 2007 Mazda make an illegal right-on-red.
The officers stopped the vehicle at Santa Monica Boulevard and Bundy Avenue and spoke with the driver and noticed that this man had some (but not all) of the following symptoms of possible Hydrocodone intoxication: Blurred vision; constipation; dizziness; drowsiness; flushing; light-headedness; nausea; vomiting; rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue; anxiety; change in the amount of urine produced; fear; hearing change or loss; interrupted breathing; mental or mood changes, and unusual tiredness.
The officers wanted to conduct further testing but the driver refused, so they arrested him based upon the symptoms they had earlier identified, as well as his driving. Officers then searched the Mazda and lo and behold, they discovered Hydrocodone in the passenger compartment! The driver eventually submitted to a blood test and he was charged with driving under the influence of Hydrocodone. The bail for the 24-year-old Santa Monica resident was set at $5,000.
Editor’s Note: These reports are part of a regular police coverage series entitled “Alert Police Blotter” (APB), which injects some minor editorial into certain police activities in Santa Monica. Not all of the Mirror’s coverage of incidents involving police are portrayed in this manner. More serious crimes and police-related activities are regularly reported without editorial in the pages of the Santa Monica Mirror and its website, smmirror.com.