An off-duty law enforcement officer’s report of erratic driving on U.S. Route 33 led to the arrest of a man for operating a vehicle while impaired late Saturday night.
Just before 10:30 PM, Bellefontaine Police responded to the eastbound lanes of U.S. 33 after reports of a white Ford F-150 making multiple lane violations and driving significantly under the speed limit.
Officers found the vehicle and saw it drifting over the fog line several times before they initiated a traffic stop.
Law enforcement made contact with two male occupants, neither of whom spoke English.
Using the driver’s passport, officers were able to identify 25-year-old Isaac Bonilla Ortega, who showed several signs of impairment.
Communication was made possible through Google Translate.
Ortega agreed to take field sobriety tests, which he failed.
He was then placed under arrest for OVI and transported to the Bellefontaine Police Department, where he was unable to complete a breath test.
Officers contacted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), who confirmed that Ortega was not legally present in the United States and was subject to deportation proceedings.
It was also confirmed that Ortega did not possess a valid driver’s license in any U.S. state.
The vehicle was towed by Ace’s High, and the passenger was transported to a local gas station to wait for a ride.
Ortega was lodged at the Logan County Jail and cited for OVI and other traffic violations.
He currently awaits ICE transfer at the Logan County Jail.
