On Thursday, June 09, 2022, I was assigned to a road detail on McGrath Hwy (Route 28 North) a public way in the city of Somerville. At approximately 9:17 P.M., while standing next to a work crew at the intersection of McGrath Hwy and Poplar Street, I observed a gray SUV strike several orange cones and was headed in the direction of the workers on the right lane. I stepped into the travel lane and motioned for the female operator to stop. The operator refused to stop and continued on McGrath Hwy dragging two orange cones.

I informed Somerville Police control of the incident and provided them with the vehicle’s license plate Massachusetts registration XXXX. I got in my cruiser and drove North on McGrath Hwy, and located the vehicle on Mystic Ave.

I activated my emergency equipment and stopped the vehicle. The operator stopped, then started to move forward. I activated the sirens again to get the operator’s attention and the vehicle came to a stop at the intersection of Mystic Ave and Shore Drive. I approached the operator who was later identified as Elida SALAZAR (Defendant). I detected a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage in the defendant’s breath, her eyes were glassy, and her speech was slurred.

I asked the defendant to put the car in park and turn the engine off and she had difficulty following instructions. I reached into the vehicle and turned the engine off, then removed the defendant from the vehicle. The defendant was unsteady on her feet and had to hold on to the side of the vehicle. The defendant told me she had two kids in the backseat. I checked the vehicle and found two empty car seats. I told the defendant there was no one in the back seat and she replied “Oh shit, they must be with their dad.”

I asked the defendant if she consumed any alcoholic beverages and she replied “Yes, I had three or four drinks at a work event”. I asked the defendant to take a field sobriety test, to which she agreed. The test was administered on the right side of the road, on a well-lit, flat, non-slippery surface.

When Officers Anaya and Legros arrived on scene, I began the standardized field sobriety tests. I asked the defendant if she wears glasses, and she stated “No” and denied having blindness in either eye. The defendant stated that she had no injuries, illnesses, medical conditions, or physical defects that would prevent her from completing the tests.

The first test I administered was the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN)
HGN: During this test, the defendant was unable to follow the stimulus, she moved her head left and right and failed to follow the instructions.

Walk and Turn test: I instructed the defendant to place her left foot on the line and put her right foot in front of it, with her right heel touching her left toe and keep her hands by her side, then take nine heel-to-toe steps on the line, turn around keeping one foot on the line, and return nine heel-to-toe steps.
During the instructional phase, the defendant stated to me “Come on dude, don’t do this to me.” The defendant lost her balance three times during this phase and stated “Just charge me. Let’s go”. The defendant was unable to perform this test.

One Leg Stand: I instructed the defendant to stand with her heels together and arms by her side, and raise one leg approximately six inches off the ground, foot parallel to the ground, keep both legs straight and keep eyes on the elevated foot, and while holding that position to count out loud; one thousand and one, one thousand and two, one thousand and three, and so forth until told to stop.
The defendant started counting without raising her foot off the ground. I repeated the instruction and the defendant asked Officer Legros if he could hold her hand to help her with her balance. The defendant was unable to lift her foot off the ground for more than one second. This test was terminated for safety reasons.

The defendant received a telephone call, and stated to the person on the line “These guys are asking me to do some crazy stuff”. I asked the defendant to end the phone call and placed her under arrest for:
– OUI Liquor c.90 S24
– Negligent Operation of Motor Vehicle c.90 S24
– Failure to stop for Police c.90 S25

The defendant was transported to the Somerville Police Headquarters via unit 200, operated by Officer Lorenti, and booked by Lieutenant G. Rymill.

During the booking process, the defendant was advised of her rights and asked to submit to a chemical test of her breath. The defendant refused to take the test. I issued the defendant citation# T1831148 and advised her that her license would be suspended for chemical test refusal.

Respectfully submitted,

Ofc. Samir Messaoudi #312
Somerville Police Dept.