A concerned Jefferson resident notified the local police department that a vehicle had been left parked and running on the side of the road for around 45 minutes on Thursday morning. Officers responded to investigate the complaint at approximately 6:04 a.m. in the 900 block of North Pinet Street. Upon arrival, they found a 2008 Jeep Liberty parked with the engine running and a male “passed out” in the back seat. Authorities attempted to wake 19-year-old Justin Ray Lopez of Jefferson, but were unable to rouse him and were forced to use alternative methods to gain entry to the locked vehicle. Once inside, they were able to wake Lopez who appeared intoxicated. A field sobriety test was administered, with a resulting Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of .124. He was transported to the Greene County jail and charged with possession of alcohol by a person 18, 19 or 20 and operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, second offense, an aggravated misdemeanor. Lopez was previously charged and convicted twice for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, both first offenses, in Greene and Dallas Counties in 2016.
