Honduran arrested for DUI, driving without a valid license
Staff report
HAWTHORNE, Fla. – Geovani Osner Moreno-Maradiaga, 24, of Honduras, was arrested yesterday in Hawthorne for driving under the influence and driving without a valid driver’s license.
A Florida Highway Patrol trooper reported that she saw a white pickup truck weaving into the shoulder multiple times and that the driver was slow to pull over when she activated her lights and siren. The trooper reported that Moreno-Maradiaga initially said he understood English but later said he did not understand her and then handed her his Honduran passport.
A translation assistant was initially used to communicate with Moreno-Maradiaga, but a Spanish-speaking trooper was requested to respond to the scene because of the “poor translation quality over the phone.” When asked why he did not have a driver’s license, Moreno-Maradiaga reportedly said his mother has one, but he only has a passport. He reportedly told the translator over the phone that he wanted the troopers to give him a ticket and let him go home.
The trooper reported that she smelled a faint odor of alcohol from Moreno-Maradiaga’s breath, and a search of the car reportedly produced two cold beers that were open and four more that were unopened and cold to the touch. A warm open beer was reportedly found in the rear passenger door compartment, and two empty beer bottles were found in a cooler in the bed of the truck.
Moreno-Maradiaga reportedly said he would only perform field sobriety exercises “if you let me go home” and then refused to perform the exercises, saying he could not do them because he was “messed up.”
Post Miranda, Moreno-Maradiaga reportedly told the Spanish-speaking trooper that “he made the error himself and that he is going to be forced back into his country.” He reportedly said he’d had six beers and that he’d been drinking while driving because it was hot and he was driving from Jacksonville to Tampa to see his brother. Moreno-Maradiaga’s breath tests reportedly gave results of 0.206 and 0.213; the legal limit is 0.08.
Judge Susan Miller-Jones set bail at $4,000. Moreno-Maradiaga is no longer in the Alachua County Jail.
Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.Â
What does his nationality have to do with anything? I never see “Local white man” or “Local black man” before any other reported story…
Recent titles: “Orange Park man,” “Trenton woman,” “Gainesville man,” “Newberry man,” “Miami pair.” If they’re from a different state or country, that is also often indicated in the title. The lack of any state identification indicates that he has not established residency in Florida and is thus a resident of Honduras.
Unfortunately there are some who try to turn everything into a case of racism.
Shut up. For all of us
Maybe because he is from Honduras and not an American? White, black, brown, yellow, gray! Where should we say he is from? His Mama?
I think it interesting that you choose (often) to comment about article leaders stating where people are from and throw the race card in there right away!
This guy kept saying he “wanted to go home!” I think that is from a 1960s hit song, “Please Mr. Tallyman, tally me bananas, daylight come and me wanna go home!”
Sound like the nice Judge let him drive on since he is “no longer in Alachua County!”
Another dam illegal here driving without a license what if he wreck someone and hurt them. We have enough people driving without a license dam sure don’t need anymore coming here illegally and doing it
I believe people have a right to come here do it legally
This is why our car insurance rates are spiking, and Dem lawyers are getting rich. Brandon’s lack of border security.
Yep . Allstate tried to go up on a 2 car policy by $700.00. Thank Goodness for Geico.
Thankful this guy was stopped. The Hit and runs are off the Charts now.
Deport him. Send him back to the Honduras. We don’t want him here endangering everybody’s lives with his alcohol problems.
We need Judge Susan Miller-Jones to be removed from the bench.
Whose car was he driving? Is he covered by required insurance? Did they withhold his passport until after trial that happens in every other country in the world?
I wonder who let this guy in?
Thanks Brandon.
It always makes me laugh when white people talk about immigration lmao y’all act like you’re not the worst immigrants in world history. Y’all literally immigrated here from Europe and immediately wiped out the native population and now want to shut the borders to everyone else
Hey genius, people are complaining about ILLEGAL immigration. There is no movement to do away with immigration. Take your finger out of your nose. I think you stabbed your brain.
The Portuguese and Spanish were the first to arrive in the “New World,” and were the first to enslave and wipe out native populations. So, Mr. Honduras’ ancestors should be the subject of your uneducated observation.
Which continent are Portugal and Spain located? I could’ve sworn it was Europe, which would make the European right?
Uhh, no, you said “white people” immigrated from Europe and wiped out natives. Now don’t take my word for it, you may actually have to look something up for yourself, but many people from that part of the world do not consider themselves as “white.” True story.
So, it’s “literally” not true that “white” people did what you say. Hispanics ruled the New World and did the most damage to native populations by far.
Oh, but that wasn’t really your point originally, was it? Your point was how you laugh at “white” people who talk about immigration. Only you don’t understand the difference between legal and illegal. Now that’s funny.
Well if “y’all” don’t like it there are trains and buses and planes and ships leaving every day. Be on one.
It always makes me laugh when y’all talk about immigration lmao y’all act like you’re not the worst immigrants in world history. Y’all literally immigrated here from Europe and immediately wiped out the native population and now want to shut the borders to everyone else
How would you like this guy causing an accident with your family? No insurance. No assets. No licence. Here illegally.
Thanks Joke Biden for allowing this stupidity.
And millions of American citizens are in the exact same situation. Would it make you feel better if it was Bryce from Ocala?
The roads in Honduras probably don’t have traffic signals. The first person to arrive at an intersection and honk their horn gets to go, if it’s like some parts of South America. This guy probably thinks it’s “muy macho” because of his culture to drive across the state while chugging beers. He probably has that look on his face because he got busted by a woman cop. Get him out of here before he rapes somebody.
Drunk drivers ought to be charged with attempted murder. Driving drunk risks innocent people’s lives. Fine if you want to risk your own life, but driving drunk risks the lives of others when you choose to get in a car drunk and drive.