Drunk Restaurant Patron Refuses To Pay Bill, Hits Fence During Getaway In Hudson Valley: Police

Things did not work out well for a drunk man who left a Hudson Valley restaurant after refusing to pay his bill and then hit a fence while driving away, police said.

A New Jersey man faces charges after refusing to pay his bill at a Carmel restaurant and then hitting a fence while driving away under the influence of alcohol, police said.
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Ben Crnic

04/30/2023 8:00 a.m.

The incident happened in Putnam County on Thursday, April 20 just before 2 p.m., when police in Carmel received a report that a possibly intoxicated man had just left a local restaurant after refusing to pay his bill and had struck a fence with his vehicle while trying to drive away, according to Carmel Police Lieutenant Michael Bodo.

Officers were then able to obtain a description of the man's vehicle and found it a short distance away from the restaurant.

After pulling the vehicle over, police determined that the suspect, 49-year-old Juan Rodriguez of Clifton, New Jersey, had been driving while under the influence of alcohol.

He was then arrested and charged with the following:

Aggravated driving while intoxicated;
Theft of services;
Leaving the scene of a property damage automobile accident.

Rodriguez will appear in the Carmel Justice Court on Monday, May 1.

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