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A man with a taste for both trouble and the occasional McChicken combo was arrested after being spotted spotted recklessly driving his Dodge Ram shortly after 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 12, authorities announced.
Stafford resident Jose Villalta, 45, is facing a host of charges after a deputy on patrol in the area of Ferry Road was caught driving without tail lights, swerving all over the road, running a red light, and nearly striking another vehicle, prompting a concerned 911 call.
The caller followed the suspect vehicle as it took a pit stop at McDonald’s on Ferry Road, where Villalta was seen stumbling and bumbling out of his vehicle and into the fast food joint.
Deputies made contact with the disconcerted caller and a second witness to get a description of the driver, who was found inside the business.
"Deputy Steinway entered the business to locate the driver, and when he checked the bathroom he was instantly hit with a strong smell," a spokesperson for the Stafford County Sheriff's Office said.
"Not the one expected from a bathroom, but the strong smell of an alcoholic beverage coming from the driver."
Villalta openly admitted to driving to the business, and running the red light, but refused to initially identify himself. He later fibbed and said he "was not drunk," which the spokesperson mused, "may have been more convincing if he didn’t have such slurred speech or was actively leaning against his vehicle to prevent him from falling over."
The deputies also found a bottle of tequila - in clear view on the passenger's seat - which further undercut his claims.
Deputies were ultimately able to identify Villalta, who was charged with:
- Driving under the influence;
- Drinking while driving;
- Failure to identify himself;
- Failure to obey a traffic light and traffic sign;
- Driving without tail lights;
- Reckless driving.
He's being held at the Rappahannock Regional Jail on a $4,000 secured bond.
No injuries were reported during the chase, but Villalta appetite for both chaos and cheeseburgers left officers shaking their heads.
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