Woman faces 19 DUI charges, spits on Cape Coral officer and nurse

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DUI
Layla Martinez’s mugshot. Credit: The Lee County Sheriff’s Office

A Cape Coral woman is facing 19 DUI charges and a battery charge after allegedly hitting two vehicles and fighting arresting officers.

The Cape Coral Police Department arrested Layla Martinez, 22, on Friday after she allegedly left a path of destruction trying to elude a Charlotte County deputy until she crashed at 400 El Dorado Parkway South.

Lisa Greenberg, the Public Affairs Officer with the CCPD said, “A Charlotte County deputy was in the area and was flagged down by a neighbor who said that there was a driver in a blue sedan that was driving through yards had hit two cars a mailbox and had taken off and went north on Skyline Boulevard.”

Martinez drove into a neighborhood off Pine Island Road and Skyline Boulevard before crashing her vehicle, leaving it with heavy front-end damage.

After Martinez crashed, police reported that she was experiencing a medical issue.

Upon further examination, police reported Martinez began screaming and appeared to be under the influence while sitting in the driver’s seat.

According to police, she displayed the typical signs of being intoxicated, which included bloodshot, watery eyes, slurred speech, poor coordination and a strong odor of alcohol coming from the vehicle.

After being asked to exit her vehicle for a medical evaluation, Martinez allegedly refused assistance, opting to back away from law enforcement.

“She was uncooperative, she wasn’t willing to participate in any of the field sobriety exercises. They were also trying to have EMS check her out, because you know, there were cars hit and things like that,” said Greenberg.

She was then detained and placed in the backseat of a police patrol car, where she allegedly continued to kick and fling her body around the backseat of the vehicle.

Once emergency services arrived on the scene, Martinez continued to be uncooperative, screaming, cursing, and spitting at officers when asked if she would participate in standardized field sobriety evaluations.

She was taken to a local hospital for treatment, where she continued to be uncooperative and had to be restrained to the bed.

According to police, she intentionally kicked an officer and a nurse at the hospital who was attempting to treat her and spat at an officer after he attempted to ask her questions.

Martinez has been charged with DUI, DUI property damage, hit and run, battery of an officer, battery on a registered nurse and resisting an officer without violence.

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