A woman was apprehended on her way to her mother’s burial and is now back in jail.
Carolyn Deborah Harmelin, 73, of the Lake Sumter Apartments on County Road 466, was held without bond at the Marion County Jail this weekend after being arrested Thursday on a warrant for failing to appear on a charge of driving under the influence.
The warrant was issued after she failed to appear for a court date in Marion County.
She was detained in March while on her way to her mother’s funeral in Ocala.
She was driving a dark blue Toyota in Ocala when she almost collided with another vehicle, according to an arrest report from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. During a traffic check, Harmelin, who had a female passenger in the car, claimed they were on their way to a funeral and got confused, causing her to take an incorrect turn. As the deputy attempted to guide Harmelin, he heard a call on the radio reporting a reckless driving in the area. Harmelin’s automobile matched the description provided in the reckless driving guideline.
Harmelin’s passenger informed the deputy that Harmelin had requested that she ride to the funeral with her. The passenger suspected Harmelin had taken medications before the journey. She further claimed Harmelin was driving at speeds above 80 mph in a zone with a speed limit of 40 to 45. The passenger admitted to texting in the reckless driving complaint while Harmelin was distracted.
Harmelin struggled with field sobriety exercises. She submitted breath samples that registered.000, but declined to submit to additional testing by a drug recognition expert. In 2009, she was convicted of DUI in Marion County. She was arrested on a DUI charge and put into the Marion County Jail on a $750 bond.
Last year, Harmelin was compelled to pay $350 in fines and court expenses for refusing to pay for a $56 haircut at Tenaj Salon Institute on County Road 103 in The Villages.
Harmelin was arrested in 2017 for domestic violence after she knocked her mother to the ground.
Leave a Reply