A 62-year-old Villager was arrested at his home on the Historic Side of The Villages after failing to show up in court to answer in a golf cart drunk driving case.
John Privitera was arrested Tuesday at his home at 1206 E. Schwartz Blvd. on a Sumter County warrant charging him with failure to appear on a charge of driving under the influence. He was booked at the Lake County Jail and released after posting $3,000 bond.
Privitera was originally arrested Nov. 17 along the golf cart path near Buena Vista Boulevard and Odell Circle, according to an arrest report from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office.
Privitera was spotted by a Good Samaritan who feared he was ill. Privitera told the woman he was OK and just had “too much to drink,” the report said. He told her he “just wanted to lay down in the bushes for a while and rest.” EMS arrived on the scene and evaluated Privitera.
A deputy responded to the scene and found the key was still in the ignition of Privitera’s red 2009 Club Car golf cart.
The Massachusetts native told the deputy he had breakfast at Bob Evans that morning but had nothing else to eat the rest of the day. He said he spent the day at the Mallory Championship Golf Course and had one vodka martini while golfing.
Privitera struggled through field sobriety exercises and when asked to recite the alphabet, he threw his hands up in the air and said, “I can’t do it!” He provided breath samples that registered .135 and .133 blood alcohol content.
