Crime & Safety
Illegal Parking Leads to O.C. Man's 4th OWI Arrest
A 28-year-old allegedly parked in a no-stopping zone at the airport with two open cans of Old Milwaukee in his car.
A 28-year-old Oak Creek man is facing his fourth drunken-driving charge after he allegedly drove to the airport drunk, then parked in a no-parking zone.
Eric N. Ayala was charged in Milwaukee County Circuit Court Thursday with one count of fourth-offense operating while intoxicated within a five-year period. If convicted, he faces up to six years in prison and $10,000 in fines.
According to the criminal complaint:
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On Nov. 18, a Milwaukee County sheriff's deputy on patrol at Mitchell International Airport spotted Ayala's car parked in the no-stopping zone at the ticketing departure area. The car was there five minutes, then Ayala came out of the airport, saying he parked the car there.
The officer noticed Ayala smelled of alcohol, so he asked how much he had to drink. Ayala said he didn't drink anything because he's in a heroin recovery program. He later changed his story and said he had one beer.
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Ayala failed field sobriety tests and registered a preliminary blood-alcohol level of 0.12. The deputy searched his car and found two open Old Milwaukee cans.
Ayala was previously convicted of OWI in 2007, 2009 and on June 21. He's being held in Milwaukee County Jail on $3,500 bond.
