Lynn Man Faces Slew of Charges After OUI Arrest

A Lynn man who tried to beat a breathalyzer test by hiding a quarter in his mouth ended up adding additional charges to his OUI arrest Sunday morning.

Francisco J. Hernandez, 35, of 63 Lynnway, pleaded innocent Monday in Lynn District Court to charges of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, hindering a police investigation, malicious destruction of property valued above $250 and wanton destruction of property valued above $250.

According to , at 3:10 a.m., Patrolman Sal Caruso saw a gray minivan driven by Hernandez traveling at approximately 55 mph on Paradise Road and he initiated a traffic stop for speeding.

When he approached the vehicle, Caruso noted that Hernandez's eyes were bloodshot and glassy and he could smell alcohol on him. Hernandez reportedly told Caruso that he had four beers and two rum drinks before driving. After failing a series of field sobriety tests and a portable breath test, he was placed under arrest, according to court documents.

While being processed at the , Hernandez was given another breath test and the station's machine reportedly produced an error message. When officers couldn't figure out why the machine had broken, they searched Hernandez's mouth and reportedly found a quarter that he had secretly hidden in his mouth in an attempt to beat the test.

Because the department's machine continued to show an error message, Hernandez was driven to the to be tested. He reportedly blew a .14 in Marblehead at 4:52 a.m., which is nearly twice the legal limit.

Hernandez is scheduled to reappear in Lynn District Court on Jan. 24 for a pretrial hearing.