An intoxicated Navarre woman was arrested for DUI and Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer Saturday night after a good Samaritan called 9-1-1 to report that the woman had left the bar in her vehicle while she was highly intoxicated after the bartender refused to serve her more drinks.
According to the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office arrest report, the suspect, 47-year-old Jennifer Mattiza, was reportedly drinking at an establishment in Navarre at around 6 p.m. last Saturday night when the bartender who was serving her drinks refused to give her any additional alcoholic beverages.
The woman left the bar and someone at the bar called 9-1-1 to report that she had left the establishment while she was “highly intoxicated”.
An officer later spotted Mattiza’s vehicle and witnessed the vehicle cross the fog line several times and at one point saw Mattiza driving the vehicle in two lanes at the same time. The officer eventually conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle for failing to maintain a single lane.
The officer noted in the report that when he was speaking to Mattiza he could smell a moderate odor of alcohol coming from her breath and noticed that her speech was slurred.
When the officer asked for her driver’s license, registration and proof of insurance, Mattiza handed the officer an oil change receipt. When the officer corrected her and told her he was looking for the other documents, she again handed him the oil change receipt, the report stated.
When the officer asked Mattiza if she had been drinking, she told him “no”, according to the arrest report.
As the officer was speaking with Mattiza, he noticed her reaching down for her gear shifter, and he asked her to turn her vehicle off and she did not comply. That’s when the officer reached down and grabbed her keys, at which point she became highly agitated, the report indicated.
When the officer opened the door and asked the suspect to exit her vehicle, she became enraged and punched the officer in the chest, the report indicated. She was then immediately taken into custody.
Mattiza refused to submit to a Breathalyzer.
According to the Santa Rosa County Jail View website, Mattiza has been arrested and charged with Battery 3 times in the past, and has also been charged with Child Cruelty.
She remains behind bars as of press time with $11,000 bond and a hold placed on her.
