Holmes Beach police arrested Bradenton Beach resident Jill Anderson, 53, May 6 on a third-degree felony charge for possession of a controlled substance without a prescription and a second-degree misdemeanor charge for driving under the influence of alcohol.
Anderson was also charged with three first-degree misdemeanors for obstructing law enforcement without violence, as well as possession of drug paraphernalia and less than 20 grams of marijuana.
The Bradenton Beach Police Department contacted the Holmes Beach Police Department about a possible drunk driver and an officer located and stopped the vehicle in the 2800 block of Gulf Drive.
The officer spoke with the driver, Anderson, who displayed signs of impairment and had an open alcoholic beverage in her cupholder.
Anderson initially agreed to perform field sobriety exercises but tried to flee once she was out of her vehicle.
The officer arrested her for DUI and resisting a law enforcement officer without violence.
During a search of Anderson’s vehicle, police found 19 pills of Lorazepam, a controlled substance she did not have a prescription for, 9.7 grams of marijuana, a grinder and three smoking pipes.
The officers transported Anderson to the Holmes Beach Police Department, where she registered breath samples with results of 0.125 and 0.114 milligrams of alcohol per 210 milliliters of breath. The state’s legal blood alcohol level limit for driving under the influence is 0.08.
The officer transported Anderson to the Manatee County jail, where she was released May 7 after posting $4,500 bond.
If convicted, punishment for a third-degree felony includes up to five years in prison while a first-degree misdemeanor can result in one year in jail.
Punishment for a second-degree misdemeanor includes up to 60 days in jail.
An arraignment will be at 9 a.m. Friday, June 20, at the Manatee County Judicial Center, 1051 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton.