Port Chester Detective Spots Stamford Man Sipping Beer While Driving

A Stamford man is due back in court after a detective spotted him drinking beer at an intersection in Port Chester last week.

Jose Giovanni Gomez, 44, was stopped at a red light at the intersection of Grace Church and South Main streets on Wednesday when a detective in an unmarked car pulled up to the light, Lt. James Ladeairous said. The detective watched as Gomez raised a bottle of Heineken to his lips and sipped before the light turned green.

The detective activated his lights and Gomez stopped on South Main Street near Willow Street. When the detective approached the car, he could smell alcohol.
A search of the car turned up a plastic bag with four empty 12-oz. Heineken bottles, an empty Heineken beer can, and three more unopened bottles of the same brand of beer, Ladeairous said. The detective also found two partially-burned marijuana joints.

Police arrested Gomez and took him back to headquarters, where they learned Gomez did not have a valid license. The Stamford man's driving privileges in New York had been revoked on April 22 of last year after he was convicted of driving while intoxicated.

Gomez was charged with felony driving while ability impaired by drugs, as well as felony unlicensed driving. The latter charge is more severe than the standard misdemeanor DWI charge because of the previous DWI conviction. Gomez was also charged with unlawful possession of marijuana, a violation.

Gomez, of Wilder Road in Stamford, was sent to Westchester County Jail. He's scheduled for village court this week.