Police arrested two men on felony charges of drunken driving last week, one in Montauk and one in Sag Harbor. Both men, Justin M. Jones of Montauk and Manuel C. Guaman Riga of Southampton, reportedly attracted police attention with traffic violations.
East Hampton Town police said that Mr. Jones ran a stop sign on the afternoon of July 31, illegally passed another car on the right, drove over road markings on Flamingo Avenue, and made an "improper turn" from Flamingo onto Kirk Avenue. He smelled of alcohol, was unsteady on his feet, and was slurring his words, according to the report.
Mr. Jones, 52, was arrested at 5:30 p.m. and was held overnight for a morning arraignment. Because he had been convicted of D.W.I. in June 2018, last week's charge was a felony. He was also charged with aggravated unlicensed driving, a misdemeanor, and with second-degree harassment, a violation, for allegedly spitting on the officer while he was being arrested. Justice Steven Tekulsky released him on his own recognizance to await a court appearance next Thursday.
Sag Harbor Village police said Mr. Guaman Riga, 61, was seen driving in the wrong direction on Nassau Street, which is a one-way road. When he was pulled over, at around 9:30 p.m. on Aug. 1, they spotted an open Modelo beer container on the floor "in plain view." Mr. Guaman Riga told police he had "three or four beers" and allegedly performed poorly on field sobriety tests. His D.W.I. charges are felonies because of a prior drunken-driving conviction within 10 years.
He was also charged with unlicensed driving, a violation, and with failing to have a mandatory ignition interlock device installed in his car, which is a misdemeanor.
Mr. Guaman Riga was held overnight at East Hampton Town police headquarters in Wainscott, and was arraigned the next morning in Sag Harbor Village Justice Court, where Justice Carl Irace remanded him to Suffolk County Correctional Facility to await a future court date.
