A 26-year-old Eureka man was arrested after an officer allegedly saw him stumbling around a car before trying to drive away from the Eureka Towne Center shopping plaza. An officer allegedly found two empty shot bottles of Fireball Cinnamon Whisky and 10 full bottles of the whisky after arresting the man, Eureka Police reported.
At about 10:30 p.m. May 27, an officer saw the man struggle to walk around a 2021 Hyundai Sonata that was parked near the Puff Zone Smoke Shop, 187 Eureka Towne Center Drive. The license plates on the car were allegedly expired, the report said.
The man continuously got in and out of the car before going into the smoke shop. The man came out of the shop shortly after entering it, and he then started to drive the car toward the exit, according to the report.
The officer stopped the man before he left the parking lot, and the man allegedly failed field sobriety tests and was arrested. The officer allegedly found an empty Fireball bottle in the man’s shorts pocket and in the car, as well as the full bottles in the Sonata, according to the report.
The man was taken to the Police Station, where he was booked and released to a sober driver, the report said.
The man was issued summons to appear in Eureka Municipal Court for alleged DWI and failure to register a motor vehicle, Capt. Michael Werges said.