A Basalt man trying to dig his car out of a snowbank early Friday morning was arrested for drunken driving for the seventh time, according to court records.<\/p>\n
When he arrived at the Pitkin County Jail, Lauro Gonzalez-Espinoza, 48, also was found with a baggie of white powder in his pocket, which later tested positive for cocaine, according to an arrest warrant affidavit filed in Pitkin County District Court.<\/p>\n
In addition to the felony DUI charge, Gonzalez-Espinoza also faces felony cocaine possession, felony introducing contraband into a jail and misdemeanor careless driving. A fourth or subsequent DUI is considered a felony in Colorado.<\/p>\n
Pitkin County sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to Lazy Glen about 2:40 a.m. Friday after a homeowner reported that a white truck with people inside had been stuck in the snow in front of his home for 20 minutes, according to the affidavit. When deputies arrived, Gonzalez-Espinoza and three other men were still trying to dig out the truck.<\/p>\n
Gonzalez-Espinoza identified himself as the driver and owner of the truck but smelled like alcohol and was “unsteady on his feet and stumbling,” the affidavit states. A deputy noticed a beer in the truck’s center console, which Gonzalez-Espinoza poured out on the ground in front of the deputy.<\/p>\n
Gonzalez-Espinoza admitted to drinking “a couple of beers” before driving, the affidavit states.<\/p>\n
A portable breath-test machine indicated that Gonzalez-Espinoza had a 0.11 breath alcohol content, which is above the state driving limit of .08. He later blew a 0.10 at the jail, according to the affidavit.<\/p>\n
Deputy Josh Bennett and a deputy at the jail both asked Gonzalez-Espinoza if he had any drugs on him before he entered the jail and both times he said he didn’t.<\/p>\n
Gonzalez-Espinoza’s criminal history indicated he’d been arrested six prior times for drunken driving, the affidavit states.<\/p>\n