A Village of Polo Ridge couple was surprised to find a drunken man in a golf cart Monday night at the entrance to their driveway.
The man, who has an extensive criminal history, showed up at about 6 p.m. in the couple’s driveway on Sandy Lane, according to an arrest report from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office.
James Thornton Hedger, 47, of Leesburg, was arrested after a deputy responded to a report of a suspicious person in the area.
The deputy spotted Hedger’s white golf cart at the entrance to the driveway and noted there was an empty bottle of Canadian Mist on the floor of the golf cart.
When Hedger was asked to provide identification, he handed the deputy a Florida Department of Corrections identification card.
During the course of conducting field sobriety exercises, Hedger told the deputy, “I can’t do it.” He later refused to provide a breath sample.
A criminal history check revealed Hedger had been convicted of DUI in 2011 in Lake County. In that case, he had been arrested in Fruitland Park.
In 2011 and 2012, Hedger was arrested on probation violations. In 2012, his probation on battery and the DUI charge was revoked. In 2006, he was arrested on a charge of burglary of a dwelling. He was also accused of battery in that case.
Hedger was booked on $1,000 bond at the Sumter County Detention Center.
