Early this morning, Sunday, February 27, 2011 around 1:04AM, officers from District A-7 (East Boston) were on patrol when they observed the front end of a car of at the edge of a series of steps with the operator appearing as if he was trying to go down the stairs with the car. At about the same time, officers observed a passerby yelling to the operator of the car to stop and get out of the car. The passerby then turned to officers, while pointing at the car, and stated, “Talk to them! They need help!”
Officers approached the car and observed the operator apparently trying to drive the car but it luckily did not move. Officers approached the car and ordered the operator and three passengers exit the car. The passengers immediately exited but the driver did not comply with officers’ orders. Officers fearing the suspect may drive the car down the steep stairs removed him from the car.
Upon removing the driver from the car, officers noticed that he was disoriented and unaware of the fact that he nearly drove his car over the set of stairs. Officers pointed out to the driver the stairs and yet and still, he did not acknowledge the danger but rather though t he was on a street. Officers then asked the driver if he knew where he was and he replied that he was on the South Shore and started incorrectly naming surrounding streets. When asked if he had been drinking, the suspect/operator told officers that he indeed had been drinking.
Based on the suspect/operator’s condition, officers arrested him and transported him to the district station for further testing. At the station, the suspect failed sobriety tests given to him and consequently the suspect, Ariel Pineda, 18 of Revere was charged with OUI-Alcohol.