Woodbury DWI Arrest: Car Pointing Wrong Way, Driver Points at Phantom Girl

A Texas man with three previous DWI convictions on his record was charged with two felony counts following his April 20 arrest in Woodbury.

Police came upon Larry Villarreal, 32, of Houston, asleep in his car at about 1:40 a.m. April 20, according to the criminal complaint.

The vehicle was stopped and facing northbound in the southbound lane at Tamarack Road and Bielenberg Drive, the complaint says, and the engine was running, the brake lights were on and loud music was playing.

Police tried to make contact with the driver, who was unresponsive, and an officer eventually reached inside the car and put it in park, according to the complaint.

After he woke up, the driver, later identified as Villarreal, said he had two big beers told police a “girl” had his license, but he was alone in the car, the complaint says.

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He eventually pulled his license from his wallet and told officers he had left the Hooters at the Mall of America and was on his way to the Red Roof Inn. Villarreal stumbled as he got out of the car, told police “she” could give him a ride and gestured toward the vehicle, according to the complaint.

When police told Villarreal there was no one else in the car, he asked if officers had taken her out of the Chevy Impala. He was slurring his speech, smelled strongly of alcohol and had glassy eyes, the complaint says.

He refused field-sobriety tests and a preliminary breath test, and was arrested and booked on suspicion of DWI.

Police learned he has three prior DWI convictions, all in Texas within the past decade.

Villarreal was charged with felony DWI and felony refusal to submit to a chemical test. If convicted on both counts, he faces up to 14 years in prison and $28,000 in fines.

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