Early Morning Traffic Stop In Hopkins County Leads To The Arrest Of One

Friday just after midnight, Deputy D. Fisher from the Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on a Nissan Altima for two reasons – the driver failed to signal a turn and the car lacked a license plate light. Deputy Fisher activated the emergency lights to signal the vehicle to pull over, but it continued driving past several safe locations to stop. Finally, the vehicle came to a halt in the parking lot of the Canyon Creek Apartments.

Deputy Fisher noticed the driver making suspicious movements inside the vehicle. D. Fisher approached the driver identified as 28 year old, Nicolas Benito Vasquez, of Sulphur Springs and detected the smell of alcohol coming from inside the vehicle. Vasquez was excessively talkative and appeared to be sweating, per police reports. To further investigate the alcohol odor, Deputy Fisher asked Vasquez to step out of the vehicle. D. Fisher inquired whether Vasquez had consumed any alcoholic beverages, to which he admitted having two drinks about an hour before driving. Additionally, the individual confessed to hiding an open alcoholic beverage in the backseat. Vasquez claimed he was just taking his 11-year-old niece to get food, who was seated in the front passenger seat.

Vazquez agreed to perform standardized field sobriety tests. During the horizontal gaze nystagmus tests, Deputy Fisher observed six signs of intoxication. During the walk and turn test, the Deputy observed three signs of intoxication. Lastly, during the one leg stand test, Deputy Fisher observed one sign of intoxication. As a result, the individual was placed under arrest and secured in handcuffs. Vasquez was read the statutory warning (DIC-24), but refused to provide a blood sample. A blood search warrant was obtained and executed.

Nicolas Benito Vasquez was then transported to the Hopkins County Jail and booked on the below charges:

1) DRIVING WHILE INTOXICATED W/CHILD UNDER 15 YOA

2) DRIVING WHILE LICENSE SUSPENDED UNDER PROVISIONS OF DL LAWS

3) NO LICENSE PLATE LIGHT

4) FAIL TO MAINTAIN FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

5) EXPIRED DRIVER LICENSE

No mugshot was available at the time of the story. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty by the court of law.