Largo, Fla. (970 WFLA) - Pinellas County deputies arrested a Sheriff's Office Lieutenant on a DUI charge early Sunday. The arrest also cost Christi Ruhtz, 41, her job in the public records processing unit, the Sheriff's Office said.
Deputies responded to a complaint about someone creating a disturbance by honking a car horn in the area of 130th Ave. and Wild Acres Rd. at 1:49 a.m., according to a PCSO news release.
They found Ruhtz in the car, with "bloodshot, glassy, and watery eyes and a distinct odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from her mouth," according to the release. Deputies say she performed poorly in field sobriety tests, and a breath test showed her with a blood alcohol content of .14/.13.
Sheriff Bob Gualtieri's policy is to fire employees for such arrests, and Ruhtz was terminated. She had worked in the office since December 21, 1998.