An East Hampton man who had a previous DWI conviction was found guilty of driving while drunk with an open bottle of vodka in his car in 2025.
On February 3, 2025, at approximately 12:35 p.m., an East Hampton Village police officer initiated a traffic stop of Simon Bolivar Cruceta’s Nissan Altima for excessive window tint. During the stop, the officer saw an open bottle of vodka at Cruceta’s feet and detected an odor of alcohol emanating from his breath. Cruceta admitted to the officer that he “ just took a sip of that,” referencing the vodka bottle. Cruceta submitted to a chemical test of his breath, which revealed his blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was 0.11, exceeding the legal limit of 0.08.
On March 16, 2026, Cruceta was convicted of Driving While Intoxicated per se, a Class E felony, and Drinking Alcohol in a Motor Vehicle on a Highway, a traffic infraction, after a jury trial heard before County Court Judge Bryan L. Browns. Cruceta had been previously convicted of misdemeanor Driving While Intoxicated on April 26, 2023.
Cruceta is due back in court for sentencing on May 19, 2026, and faces up to 1⅓ to four years in prison.
“Drunk driving is not a victimless crime. It is a decision that puts every person on the road and sidewalks at serious risk of injury or death,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney. “This defendant made that choice twice, and this conviction should send a message that my office takes these cases seriously to ensure our roads are safe.”