DUI Archives - Inside Lake

Dad Arrested for DUI Crash that Killed 2 Toddler Sons and Injured Another Son on Easter Eve ’22

Fruitland Park, Inside Scoop, Leesburg, Unincorporated Lake / By Marilyn M. Aciego

TAVARES, Fla.—A father is in the Lake County Jail on no bond after being arrested for DUI manslaughter, vehicular homicide and operating a vehicle without a driver license causing death, stemming from a crash that killed his two young sons on Easter Eve in 2022.

David Shawn Pelfrey, 22, was picked up at his home in Fruitland Park on a warrant Thursday, nearly two years after the crash that killed his young sons, Damian and Dominic and seriously injured their younger brother Daylen.

Inside Lake spoke with the boys’ mom, Miranda Martin, by text Monday and she said Daylen is 3 years old now and doing well.

“Daylen is extremely smart, and the only visible scar left was the one on his head from the surgery he had to have but he’s been through a lot, he actually remembers his brothers and he talks about them often. If he’s asked where Damian and Dominic are he will say “they’re my angels in the sky” and that warms my heart,” she said,

Martin said the arrest has been a long time coming.

“I just want my boys to be remembered, I had to patiently wait for this day to come and for an arrest to be made. Throughout all the time that’s gone by I have had to overcome a lot mentally while (Pelfrey) lived his life like he wasn’t bothered, he’s never apologized and showed no remorse. My life was destroyed, and finally my children will get the justice they deserve and the attention they deserved since this happened. There will never be enough justice no matter what his sentence is because their lives are over. They’re not going to come back but now he has no choice but to sit in isolation and remember them and process that he was at fault for this and now I don’t feel like I carry the weight of the pain from their loss alone anymore,” Martin told Inside Lake.

“Damian was a very intelligent child and extremely mischievous and mature for his age, he loved (play) guns, and I would go as far as saying he was obsessed with them and had a collection of nerf guns, he was as much of a daddy’s boy as he was a mama’s boy. Dominic, he was my mini and a wholehearted mama’s boy, he loved dinosaurs and he thought he was a dinosaur we called him Dino-Dom. He was goofy and always happy and so destructive. My children were amazing boys, and they deserve to be remembered and I’m glad they’re finally getting justice.”

Shortly before 5:45 p.m. April 16, 2022, Pelfrey, who did not have a valid license, was driving a red 2011 Kia Optima westbound on State Road 46 near Wekiva Pines Road in Sorrento and passing vehicles in a no-passing zone, the Florida Highway Patrol said in 2022. The Kia entered the eastbound lane and the path of a blue 2011 Toyota Tundra pickup truck being driven by Carey David Duryea, of Lake Mary. Duryea took evasive action, according to witnesses, and traveled onto the south shoulder. Pelfrey traveled onto the same shoulder and struck the Tundra head-on, causing it to overturn and catch fire. The impact ejected Damian Pelfrey, 4, and his little brother, Dominic Shane Pelfrey, 2, from the Optima and they were both pronounced deceased on the scene. Their younger brother, Daylen Scott Pelfrey, then just 1 year old, was transported to Arnold Palmer Hospital in Orlando.

Pelfrey, and another passenger, Justice Marie Lavery were transported to HCA Florida Lake Monroe Hospital in Sanford along with Duryea, Natalio Ramirez Velazquez and Olinto Garcia. Aldrin Greeis Perez Rodriguez and Marvin Armando were transported to AdventHealth Waterman in Tavares.

Witnesses told FHP Pelfrey was driving between 65 and 75 miles per hour and one witness said she could smell alcohol when she went to the car to check on the occupants following the crash, according to a probable affidavit.

Troopers later traveled to Sanford to speak to Pelfrey and obtain a blood sample and he refused. They obtained a search warrant for Pelfrey’s blood, and it was drawn twice, at 2:15 a.m. and 2:16 a.m. April 17, 2022—nearly nine hours after the crash. A test performed by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement revealed the presence of fentanyl, THC and hydromorphone in his system. That test did not show the presence of alcohol, but FHP secured a search warrant for medical blood taken at 7:59 p.m. April 16, 2022, about two hours after the crash. That blood sample, tested using enzymatic testing, showed Pelfrey had a blood alcohol level (BAL) of .135, more than 1.5 times the legal limit.

The sample was also sent to the University of Florida Pathology Laboratories, which used chromatograph testing. Its test showed Pelfrey’s BAL was .102 and did not show the presence of drugs.

A warrant was issued for Pelfrey’s arrest Jan. 14, and he was picked up at his home Thursday and transported to the Lake County Jail, where he is being held on no bond. Pelfrey is also facing a charge of kidnapping and battery in a separate case. That case remains open.

Previous story: Two Leesburg Toddlers Killed, One Airlifted in Fiery Easter Eve Crash that Shut Down SR 46 – Inside Lake

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FHP: Lady Lake Man Flees Fatal Citrus County Crash, Captured in a Pasture by Citrus Deputies

Inside Scoop, Lady Lake / By Marilyn M. Aciego

CITRUS COUNTY, Fla.—A Lady Lake man is accused of being drunk, causing a crash that killed a man and fleeing the scene Sunday, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Robert Brandon Vanzant, 31, of Lady Lake was speeding southbound in a Ford F-150 on North Carl G. Rose Highway and passing traffic on the shoulder shortly before 2:30 p.m. Sunday, FHP Sgt. Steve Gaskins said.

Vanzant merged back into traffic near East Spruce Drive and rear-ended a Honda Accord being driven by a 62-year-old Lecanto man. The impact propelled the Honda across the road, where it struck a bridge rail and then collided with a second Ford F-150 being driven northbound by a 42-year-old Beverly Hills man.

The Lecanto man was transported to an area hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. The Beverly Hills man suffered minor injuries.

Vanzant, who was not injured, left the scene, dumped his truck at a nearby gas station and fled on foot into a pasture where he was apprehended by Citrus County Sheriff’s Office deputies, Gaskins said.

Vanzant was later arrested by FHP for DUI manslaughter, leaving the scene of a crash with death, leaving the scene of a crash with injuries and driving while license suspended with death.

FHP: Lady Lake Man Flees Fatal Citrus County Crash, Captured in a Pasture by Citrus Deputies Read More »

Viviana Viera crashed into a pole at a Eustis gas station Saturday, and her blood-alcohol level was more than four times the legal limit, according to police. PHOTO: Marilyn M. Aciego/Inside Lake

Police: Woman Crashes into Pole at Eustis Gas Station, Breath-Alcohol Level More than 4x the Legal Limit

Eustis, Inside Scoop / By Marilyn M. Aciego

EUSTIS, Fla.—A woman who crashed into a pole at a gas station Saturday had a breath-alcohol level more than four times the legal limit, according to an arrest affidavit.

Shortly before 6 p.m. Saturday, Eustis Police Department responded to Circle K, 19516 State Road 44, Eustis on a report of a drunk driver. When officers arrived, they found Viviana Natalie Viera, 47, had crashed her vehicle into a small pole in front of the gas pumps, the affidavit states.

Viera, of Altamonte Springs, reeked of alcohol, was swaying side to side and had to use her vehicle door for support, the arresting officer noted. Officers observed an open bottle of vodka in the center console; after first refusing one officer, Viera told another officer she would complete field sobriety exercises but quickly said she could not do them, and she was placed under arrest.

Several other vodka bottles were found the vehicle when officers inventoried it and Viera was taken to the Lake County Jail for a breath test. One sample was .333—more than four times the legal limit of .08—and the second sample was .315, nearly four times the legal limit.

Viera was turned over to the custody of LCJ and released Monday on $2,000 bond.

Police: Woman Crashes into Pole at Eustis Gas Station, Breath-Alcohol Level More than 4x the Legal Limit Read More »

Groveland Man Arrested for 2nd DUI in a Week, 4th in 2 Years

Groveland, Inside Scoop / By Marilyn M. Aciego

GROVELAND, Florida—A Groveland man is behind bars accused of DUI for the second time in a week and the fourth time since 2021.

Shortly before 5 p.m. Saturday, Groveland Police Department responded to the area of State Road 50 and State Road 33 on a report of man leaving a residence drunk. The complainant told GPD what the man was driving and that he had been arrested the week before for DUI. An officer spotted the red Hyundai Daniel Joseph Smrekar, 59, was driving leaving a nearby gas station and began following it.

The Hyundai had faulty brake lights and was missing its front bumper; when GPD ran the tag, the officer found Smrekar, the registered owner, had a suspended driver license and was wanted for a bond revocation, according to an arrest affidavit.

GPD initiated a traffic stop near Michigan Avenue and Beach Street and Smrekar came to a final stop in the driveway of his home on Beach Street. Smrekar, who had glassy, watery, bloodshot eyes, agreed to field sobriety exercises and was unsteady on his feet, the arresting officer noted. The officer believed Smrekar was drunk, and he was arrested and taken to the police department where he refused to submit to a breath test.

This was Smrekar’s second arrest for DUI in a week and fourth since 2021. He was arrested for DUI on July 23 and in August 2022 by GPD, and in 2021 by Clermont Police Department.

He was transported to the Lake County Jail, where he is being held on no bond due to the bond revocation for the 2022 DUI.

Groveland Man Arrested for 2nd DUI in a Week, 4th in 2 Years Read More »

Man Arrested for DUI After Going to Police Department to Pick Up Public Records with His Young Son

Inside Scoop, Mount Dora / By Marilyn M. Aciego

MOUNT DORA, Florida—A man, believed to be drunk, went to Mount Dora Police Department to pick up a public records request Monday morning with his young son and was later arrested for DUI, according to an arrest affidavit.

Around 11:30 a.m. Monday, an MDPD officer responded to the department to assist a man with a public records request. When the officer arrived, Alexander Joseph Robillard, 35, was in his vehicle while his 7-year-old son waited in the police department lobby.

“As Alexander was walking towards the front door, he was unsteady on his feet and swaying his body from side to side while walking. He appeared to be unusually upset for no apparent reason and would only provide me with his first name, “Alex,” the arresting officer noted in the affidavit.

Robillard told the officer he was there to pick up public records he requested approximately two weeks prior and had the “odor of the impurities of an alcoholic beverage coming from his breath, his face was flushed, his eyes were glassy, and his eyelids were droopy,” the affidavit states.

The officer explained the records department was closed due to the Juneteenth holiday and Robillard began recording the conversation with his phone, and stated the officer was not any help to him. He reportedly became belligerent and told the officer to “go “(expletive) myself,” the officer stated in the affidavit.

Robillard left and called dispatch and requested a supervisor but he did not wait for the supervisor to respond, according to the affidavit.

The officer provided a description of the man to an MDPD sergeant, and the sergeant said Robillard is “not law enforcement friendly” and two officers should respond to assist. The officer also found that Robillard has a suspended license for failure to submit in 2016.

Inside Lake reached out to the City of Mount Dora by email to ask why Robillard was allowed to leave with the child if the officer believed he was drunk, and Interim Chief Michael Gibson emailed this response.

“It is sometimes difficult to get the entire story off a probable cause affidavit. In this case, the officer responded to the lobby to meet with the male citizen regarding a public records request. Upon the officer’s arrival, the male’s son was in the lobby and the male was sitting in his vehicle. While meeting with the male, the officer did recognize that the male could be intoxicated. However, the encounter was not going well, and the male asked to speak with a supervisor. The officer requested a supervisor and then went to retrieve his patrol vehicle so he could have it near the lobby. When the officer went to get his vehicle, the male presumably changed his mind about meeting a supervisor, entered his vehicle and drove away,” Gibson said in the email.

MDPD canvassed the area and Robillard’s home and found his vehicle parked at Gilbert Park in downtown Mount Dora with Robillard sitting in the driver’s seat with the engine running, while the boy played at the park, the affidavit states.

Officers asked Robillard to step out of the vehicle and he refused to participate in field sobriety exercises and said he has not been drinking alcohol for over two months. Robillard was placed under arrest for DUI and taken into custody; and when officers searched his vehicle, they found a half-empty cup of liquid behind the driver’s seat that smelled like alcohol. Robillard had the same cup with him while he was inside the police department, the officer noted.

“After the male left, they began conducting an area check to find him. Once found, he was subsequently arrested,” Gibson said.

Robillard was transported to the Lake County Jail where he also refused a breath test. He was released Monday night on $2,000 bond.

Man Arrested for DUI After Going to Police Department to Pick Up Public Records with His Young Son Read More »

Clermont Man Arrested for DUI Following Head-On Collision

Clermont, Inside Scoop / By Marilyn M. Aciego

CLERMONT, Florida—A man involved in a head-on crash at a busy intersection Saturday refused to participate in field sobriety exercises and was arrested for DUI, according to an arrest affidavit.

Clermont Police Department responded to the intersection of U.S. Highway 27 and Hammock Ridge Road around 8:30 p.m. Saturday on a report of a head-on collision and spoke to Adrian Sanchez, 42, of Clermont.

Sanchez told police he was driving a silver Hyundai involved in the crash, but refused to speak with CPD any further, the affidavit states. Sanchez, who had his niece in the vehicle with him, had glassy eyes and his breath smelled of alcohol, the arresting officer noted. His niece’s age was not listed in the affidavit.

Sanchez was transported to South Lake Hospital by Lake EMS and refused to participate in field sobriety exercises and also refused to give a breath sample, according to the affidavit. He was later arrested for DUI with property damage and transported to the Lake County Jail, where he was released on $2,000 bond.

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Clermont Mom Arrested for DUI After Allegedly Driving Wrong Way Through School Pickup Line Drunk

Clermont, Inside Scoop / By Marilyn M. Aciego

CLERMONT, Florida—A Clermont mom was arrested Friday for DUI after driving drunk through the pickup line twice at Pinecrest Lakes Academy, according to an arrest affidavit.

Staff members at Pinecrest Lakes Academy, 14012 Old Highway 50, Clermont requested their Lake County Sheriff’s Office school resource deputy (SRD) assist with a parent they believed was intoxicated at the school around 2:45 p.m. Friday, according to an arrest affidavit.

A witness told the SRD Heather C. Tonnellier, 48, ran over a traffic cone and dragged it under her vehicle in the pickup line and when staff members approached her, they told her she had missed pickup time and she had to park and get her child from the front office. Tonnellier then left the campus.

The witness also told the SRD a teacher called Tonnellier earlier to speak with her about being late picking her child up and missing a volunteer commitment. The witness said the teacher was concerned Tonnellier was under the influence due to her speech pattern, and the witness said Tonnellier had been escorted off campus on a prior occasion due to her being drunk, the affidavit states.

At 3:11 p.m., the SRD was notified Tonnellier had returned to the campus, driving the wrong way through the pickup line and “having great difficulty following the drive when curves and turns were present,” according to the affidavit.

The SRD watched Tonnellier exit a grey Hyundai, using the vehicle for support and as she made her way to the front office she was staggering and unsteady on her feet. She walked past the SRD and the SRD could smell alcohol, she noted in the affidavit.

*Heather Tonnellier PHOTO: Lake County Sheriff’s Office*

The SRD approached Tonnellier and asked her if she was experiencing a medical emergency, she said no, and the SRD explained people were concerned because she hit the cone and made numerous incorrect turns. Tonnellier seemed “confused” by what the SRD was saying.

The SRD asked Tonnellier if she had been drinking, which she denied and she agreed to perform field sobriety exercises. After the exercises, Tonnellier was taken into custody for DUI. The child was turned over to an emergency contact and Tonnellier was transported to the Lake County Jail, where she provided two breath samples, one .200 and one .198, both more than twice the legal limit. She was booked into LCJ and released on $1,000 bond.

In 2021, Tonnellier was arrested for DUI after being involved in a crash in the middle of the afternoon on State Road 50 in Clermont. At one point she told Clermont Police she believed her child was in the vehicle, but later said she dropped the child off at school. In that case, Tonnellier provided breath samples of .229 and .222, nearly three times the legal limit. According to Lake County Clerk of Court records she was sentenced to probation; she completed the probation and terms in May 2022.

Clermont Mom Arrested for DUI After Allegedly Driving Wrong Way Through School Pickup Line Drunk Read More »

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