PARSIPPANY — A Lake Hiawatha man was charged with driving while intoxicated and refusing to submit to a chemical breath test after officers responded to a report of a running, occupied vehicle with possibly intoxicated occupants on Saturday, April 11, according to Patrol Officer Sean Golden of the Parsippany-Troy Hills Police Department.
According to Patrol Officer Golden, he and Patrol Officer Cavaluzzo were dispatched at approximately 1:29 a.m. to the area of 79 North Beverwyck Road in Lake Hiawatha following an anonymous call. Upon arrival, Patrol Officer Golden located a 2009 Nissan Altima parked on Hiawatha Boulevard with its engine running and lights on, occupied by a male driver and a female passenger. He reported observing an open container of Modelo beer in the center console cup holder.
Patrol Officer Golden said that when he approached the vehicle, the driver, later identified as Ignacio Servantes-Maceda, 40, of Lake Hiawatha, rolled down the window. Patrol Officer Golden reported detecting the odor of alcohol and observing watery eyes and slurred speech. When asked if he had consumed alcohol, Servantes-Maceda said he had “some.”
Servantes-Maceda was asked to step out of the vehicle to perform standardized field sobriety tests. According to police, he missed heel-to-toe contact on every step of the walk-and-turn test and stopped partway through both that test and a subsequent attempt to restart it. During the one-leg-stand test, Servantes-Maceda held his hands together for balance instead of at his sides and began to lose his balance shortly after raising his foot, prompting Patrol Officer Golden to end the testing for safety reasons. When asked again how much he had consumed, Servantes-Maceda said “maybe six” beers.
Servantes-Maceda was placed under arrest, searched, and secured in a patrol vehicle before being transported to police headquarters. There, he was advised of his Miranda rights and read the standard statement for driving under the influence. Police said he declined to consent to a chemical breath test when asked twice, and Patrol Officer Cavaluzzo, a trained Alcotest operator, processed the refusal. Servantes-Maceda was later transported to complete requirements under John’s Law, and his wife completed and signed the required forms.
Patrol Officer Golden charged Servantes-Maceda with the following offenses:
- Driving while intoxicated
- Refusal to submit to chemical test
- Refusal to consent to breath testing
- Driving after license suspension or revocation
- Open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle
- Reckless driving
Editor’s Note: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
