An intoxicated Lubbock Texas man was arrested Sunday morning after he went on a rampage because family members refused to give him his car keys and let him drive. Michael Aaron Garcia responded by threatening several relatives, including a child, with a metal pole and damaging one of their cars with it. He then used paper and a lighter to set several small fires inside the apartment where four people lived because they said they were going to call the police.

Lubbock Police arrived on the scene around 6:00 am and found the apartment on fire. They were able to extinguish the flames before they spread. During his arrest Garcia smashed one of the squad car windows.

The incident began at 4:50 in the morning when a Texas Tech police officer pulled over Garcia and issued a citation for driving without a valid license and not having auto insurance. It is unclear why the traffic stop was initiated, and there is no record of a TX DWI investigation. The Lubbock Police cannot confirm whether Garcia was intoxicated at the time he was stopped by the campus police, however Garcia says that the officer said he would not be charged with DWI in Texas if he could get a safe ride home. Family members met Garcia at the Amigo United Supermarket shortly after.

Garcia, 20, has been charged with arson, aggravated assault, endangering a child, resisting arrest and several additional offenses.

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An Iowa City wrestling coach was arrested for driving under the influence in Iowa July 2 after driving the wrong direction on a divided highway. Brad Smith was traveling southbound in the northbound lanes of Highway 965 in Coralville around midnight, and headed directly toward a marked North Liberty Police squad car.

The officer noted Smith’s bloodshot, watery eyes, lack of balance and slurred speech, and had him submit to a breath test. The results were a blood alcohol content of .241%, more than three times the legal limit. Smith also admitted to drinking.

Smith, 56, is a former national wrestling champion and a member of the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame. He was named national high school coach of the year in 1990. He has been with Iowa High in Iowa City since 1991, leading the wrestling squad to five state championships.

Smith was charged with drunk driving in Iowa and driving the wrong way on a highway. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges and is scheduled to appear in court on October 4. If convicted of DUI in Iowa, Smith faces up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $1500.

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A Baytown doctor has had his professional license to practice medicine suspended following an incident of DWI in Texas. On July 16, Dr. Felix Nabor Sabates, Jr. was stopped by Montgomery County law enforcement for weaving through traffic at speeds in excess of 100 mph. He was dressed in medical scrubs and told the officer he was on his way to the hospital to see a patient. The officer suspected impairment because Sabates’ speech was slow and confused and his eyes were bloodshot. Sabates was asked to perform a field sobriety test, which he reportedly failed. He refused to submit to a breath test.

During a search of Sabates’ vehicle, police found 280 tablets of cocaine, morphine, Adderall and hydrocodone. The cocaine was in unmarked capsules, and Sabates could not provide a prescription to justify possession of the other three drugs.

Sabates has a history of mental illness and substance abuse dating from the 1990’s. A five-year disciplinary order was issued in 1994 for alcohol and cocaine abuse and attempted suicide.

Following the recent arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in Texas, the Texas Medical Board suspended Sabates’ license indefinitely, stating that his continued practice would be a “threat to public health and safety”.

Sabates, 50, was charged with possession of a controlled substance, TX DWI and reckless driving. He is free on $70,000 bond.

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A recent deadly accident involving a repeat North Carolina DWI offender has legislators saying they are open increasing the length of time that alcohol detecting ankle bracelets can be used in the fight on drunk driving. Current North Carolina law prohibits judges from requiring the bracelet in drunk driving cases for more than 60 days. The devices alert authorities when alcohol is detected in the perspiration of the wearer.

Such a device was part of Howard Pasour’s sentence after he was convicted of third offense driving while intoxicated in NC. When the maximum time limit had expired, the bracelet was removed. On July 25, Pasour was speeding and driving drunk on a two lane road when he crashed into an on-coming car, killing a 17-year old woman. Open containers of alcohol were found in his vehicle and he was charged with seven felonies.

A Democratic State Senator and a Democratic State Representative are considering legislation to extend the amount of time use of a bracelet can be mandated. Lawmakers are investigating ways to ensure indigent offenders could afford the fees associated with the bracelets. The existing law was designed to limit the cost impact of wearing the device, which can cost $12 a day. Some local governments have expressed interest in off-setting the cost because the bracelets are less expensive than jailing DWI offenders.

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Sarah S. Bjerke was stopped for a traffic violation in St. Paul around 10:30 in the morning on July 22. The officer detected a strong odor of alcohol and observed that Bjerke’s eyes were red and watery. A portable breath testing unit revealed a blood alcohol content of .133%.

Bjerke indicated that she was headed to her job at Crosswinds Middle School in Woodbury. She was arrested for driving while intoxicated in Minnesota and booked at the Ramsey County Jail.

Bjerke, 38, has prior convictions for MN DWI from January 2010 and October 2009.

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