A PUNTA GORDA CITY COUNCILMAN COULD BE IN TROUBLE AFTER HIS CAR WAS FOUND BY POLICE EARLY FRIDAY MORNING. ACCORDING TO THE SUN, OFFICERS WERE FOLLOWING UP ON A REPORT THAT A CAR HAD KNOCKED DOWN A YIELD SIGN AND STRUCK A PALM TREE ON WEST MARION AVENUE NEAR PARK BEACH PLACE. THEY FOUND THE CAR WITH DAMAGE AND AIRBAGS DEPLOYED, BUT NO DRIVER. THEY RAN THE PLATES AND FOUND OUT IT BELONGED TO COUNCILMAN CHARLES WALLACE. OFFICERS THEN WENT TO HIS GIRLFRIEND’S HOME ON PARK BEACH PLACE, BUT NO ONE ANSWERED THE DOOR. THEY THEN CALLED HER, BUT SHE TOLD THEM SHE WAS NOT THERE AND HER CALLS WERE FORWARDED TO HER CELL PHONE. OFFICERS THEN WENT TO WALLACE’S HOME ON WEST CHARLOTTE AVENUE. NOT ONLY DID THEY NOT FIND WALLACE, BUT THEIR REPORT SAYS THE HOME APPEARED EMPTY. THE INVESTIGATION TOOK POLICE TO A COUPLE THAT WALLACE REPORTEDLY DINED WITH THE NIGHT BEFORE, WHO SAID HE WAS BUZZED WHEN HE LEFT THEM. OFFICERS WENT BACK TO THE GIRLFRIEND’S HOUSE AND THIS TIME WALLACE ANSWERED THE DOOR. THE REPORT SAID HE APPEARED INTOXICATED WITH WATERY BLOODSHOT EYES AND WAS UNSTEADY ON HIS FEET. OFFICERS ASKED IF HE KNEW WHERE HIS CAR WAS, AND HE POINTED TOWARDS THE CRASH SCENE WHILE SAYING “DOWN THE STREET.” ASKED HOW HE RETURNED HOME, HE REPLIED “NO COMMENT” AND “TALK TO MY LAWYER.” WALLACE REFUSED TO BE CHECKED OUT MEDICALLY AND SAID TO POLICE “PLEASE GET OFF OF MY PROPERTY” AS HE CLOSED THE DOOR IN THE OFFICER’S FACE. PUNTA GORDA POLICE CHIEF BUTCH ARENAL TOLD THE PAPER THE INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING.
