Jonathan Bonilla Mendoza

Name of Accused:
Bonilla Mendoza, Jonathan

Date of Arrest:
07/21/2024


Charges For Arrest:
OBSCURED TAG – M
Improper Display Of License Plates – M
LEAVING ACCIDENT, FAIL TO GIVE AID/INFO – M
HIT AND RUN; DUTY OF DRIVER TO STOP AT OR RETURN TO SCENE OF ACCIDENT – M
Operating Vehicle Without Tag Or Decal – M
Operating Vehicle Without Tag Or Decal – M
FAILURE TO OBEY TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES – M
Disregarding Traffic Control Device – M
OPEN CONTAINER VIOLATION – M
Open Container – M
USE OF LICENSE TAG TO HIDE IDENTITY – M
ACQUIRING LICENSE PLATE FOR PURPOSE OF CONCEALING IDENTIFICATION OF MOTOR VEHICLE – M
DUI – DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL – M
NO PERMIT – M
DRIVING WITHOUT A VALID LICENSE – M
NO PERMIT – M
DRIVING WITHOUT A VALID LICENSE – FOURTH OR SUBSEQUENT OFFENSE WITHIN FIVE YEARS – M
Officer’s Narrative:
[Please note: The following is a direct transcription from the official initial incident report. The Georgia Gazette does not fix any spelling or grammatical errors that may exist. Any changes or redactions made by our staff are placed inside brackets. Some errors may exist. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The topics discussed may be sensitive to some readers. Discretion is advised.]
On July 21, 2024
, at 2049 hours, I was dispatched to Benton Blvd/Towne Center Blvd in reference to a crash with injuries. Upon arrival, I observed both vehicles in the middle of the road. I exited my vehicle and heard a woman telling me that the driver was leaving the scene. I saw the woman, and she pointed in the direction of the subject. I observed the subject, Mr. Mendoza, approximately more than 50 feet from the crash scene with his back turned walking away. I told him to come back, and he told me he did not speak english. As he got close to me, I smelled the odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his person.
I was able to get an interpreter. Mr. Mendoza advised he had two beers, but could not tell me where he had the drinks. He could not tell me where he was coming from, and could not give me a reason why he crashed. Based off of his demeanor, I did not attempt to do the walk and turn or the one-leg stand. I asked if he would allow me to check his eyes, and he agreed at first. When I attempted to start, he refused to comply further. I asked if he would submit to a preliminary breath test, and he advised that he would. I placed the tube in his mouth, and he did not blow as instructed. I told him to blow into the tube as if he were blowing into a balloon and to not stop blowing. I tried to do it once more, but he did not follow instructions. I asked if he was licensed to drive, and he advised he was not. I ran his information through GCIC/NCIC, and it came back with no return. The license plate on the vehicle was [REDACTED]. The plate was registered to a 2006 Ford F150. A check of GCIC/NCIC showed that the plate registered to the Ford Mustang was expired on 07/17/2024
.
I opened Mr. Mendoza’s vehicle and smelled a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from inside of it. I went to the passenger side and observed an open container of Modelo on the floorboard. I observed a lot of liquid on the floor as well. I gathered information from separate witnesses (see crash report). Mr. Mendoza was seen leaving Foxfield Way and turned right onto Benton Blvd. He proceeded to accelerate at a high rate of speed and drove through the red light. This is when the crash occurred.
ARREST
Based on his admittance to drinking, the crash, witness statements, and my training and experience, I determined that he was under the influence of alcohol to the point where he was unable to operate a motor vehicle safely. He was placed under arrest, ed, and read implied consent for over age 21 for blood. Based on the language barrier, I determined this to be a refusal. He was transported to Memorial Health to be medically cleared. Once he was cleared, he was transported and released to the Chatham County Detention Center. He received a court date of October 10, 2024
at 1000am. He received a bond of $2150. His vehicle was towed by Sapps Towing. His seat belt was on during transport. The rear of my vehicle was checked for contraband and weapons. There was nothing found. He was given copies of his citations and the DDS 1205 form.
[End of Narrative]