Around 8:52 PM on August 4, 2023, Officer Victor Gonzalez with the Essex Fells Police Department observed a 2021 Hyundai sedan being driven without headlights on Roseland Avenue. He initiated a traffic stop on Roseland Avenue near Runnymede. He initiated contact with the driver, and she was identified as Patricia. As Officer Gonzalez was speaking with Patricia, he detected the odor of alcohol and noticed other indicators of impairment. Patricia informed Officer Gonzalez that she was driving a rental car. She provided him with her driver’s license, and he returned to his patrol car to check her information. Based on his suspicion of impairment, Patricia was asked to exit the vehicle and perform field sobriety exercises. Officer Gonzalez started with the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test. The second exercise was the One Leg Stand test. During the One Leg Stand test, Patricia failed to raise her foot in the proper fashion while putting her foot down before the test was complete. The final exercise was the Walk and Turn test. During the Walk and Turn test, Patricia did not touch heel-to-toe on each step, turned improperly, and failed to keep her arms at her sides. Based on the odor of alcohol, her admission to consuming alcohol, and her inability to satisfactorily complete the field sobriety exercises, Officer Gonzalez placed Patricia under arrest for driving under the influence. After she was placed under arrest, her vehicle was impounded by Paneks Towing for a mandatory 12-hour hold under John’s Law. Officer Gonzalez transported Patricia to the Essex Fells Police Department for further processing. At the Essex Fells Police Department, Patricia was read the Standard Statement for Motor Vehicle Operators, but she refused to submit breath samples. When the officers were finished with processing her, Patricia was released to her neighbor after she signed the Potential Liability Warning form on Patricia’s behalf. Patricia was issued the following traffic citations: Operating under the influence, refusal to submit to chemical test, and refusal to use lighted lamps Court records indicate that on January 18, 2024, Patricia pleaded guilty to operating under the influence and refusal to submit to chemical test. The citation for failure to use lighted lamps was dismissed as part of a plea agreement. As a result of her guilty pleas, Patricia had to use an ignition interlock device for 9 months, spend 12 hours at an intoxicated driver resource center, and pay a total of $1,130 in fines. ---------------------------------------------- Please LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and consider supporting this channel (email us for more information). Our content is shared for educational and news gathering purposes. We are in compliance with YouTube's Fair Use Policy because we edit several long clips into a concise story. This is similar to other law enforcement channels on YouTube. All videos and case documents were obtained pursuant to the New Jersey Open Public Records Act, N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq. (P.L. 2024, c.16). Defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty. The New Jersey Supreme Court has previously affirmed in Salzano v. North Jersey Media Group, 993 A.2d 778 (2010) that “The fair-report privilege reflects the judgment that the need, in a self-governing society, for free-flowing information about matters of public interest outweighs concerns over the uncompensated injury to a person's reputation.” This video advances a compelling public interest. The summary of events was based on records that are “open to public view through open access to public records” as defined in the Salzano case. In Ramos v. Flowers, 429 N.J. Super. 13, the Appellate Division of the Superior Court has also affirmed the right to film law enforcement interactions.

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