Winter Haven Woman Arrested After Allegedly Striking Victim and Showing Signs of Impairment at Circle K.
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – An investigation at a Winter Haven convenience store quickly escalated into a struggle and a DUI charge after a woman allegedly struck a victim and then refused to exit her vehicle for deputies.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the incident occurred Monday night at approximately 9:29 p.m. A deputy was dispatched to the Circle K located at Spirit Lake and Winter Lake roads following a report of a battery.
Upon arrival at the scene, the deputy located the suspect, identified as 50-year-old Loretta Lynn Pitts of Winter Haven, sitting in the driver’s seat of a yellow 2011 Chevy Camaro at a gas pump.
While speaking with Pitts, the deputy reported noticing slurred speech and a distinct odor of alcohol emanating from her. When asked to exit the vehicle to continue the investigation, Pitts allegedly refused. A second deputy arrived on the scene, and the two officers reportedly assisted Pitts out of her car and into a patrol vehicle.
The subsequent investigation into the original battery complaint determined Pitts was accused of striking the victim in the face, causing a minor abrasion.
Furthermore, a DUI investigation concluded that Pitts was impaired. She reportedly refused to submit to a breath-alcohol test.
Loretta Lynn Pitts was subsequently arrested by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and charged with Battery, Driving Under the Influence (DUI), and Resisting an Officer Without Violence.
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