By DENNIS J. WRIGHT
dwright@phoenixvillenews.com

PHOENIXVILLE — Jorge Luis Mendez, arrested in November on driving under the influence charges after he allegedly struck a parked vehicle along Church Street, was ordered to stand trial in district court Thursday morning.

Mendez, 26, of the 300 block of Washington Avenue, Phoenixville, is charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or controlled substance — general impairment; driving under the influence of alcohol or controlled substance — blood alcohol content (.08 to .10); driving under the influence of alcohol or controlled substance — higher rate of alcohol (.10 to .16); driving under the influence of alcohol or controlled substance — highest rate of alcohol (.16 and higher); drivers required to be licensed; and careless driving.

According to court testimony, Officer Brett Popiny said he noticed a two-vehicle accident on Church and Dean Streets around 10:23 p.m. Nov. 15.

"It appeared that a gold Honda Accord struck an unoccupied black Nissan Pathfinder," said Popiny. "The Nissan was parked on Church Street. Both vehicle had moderate damage and were towed from the scene."

Popiny said he observed two Hispanic males attempting to gather damaged auto parts from the street.

After approaching them, one of the individual, identified as Mendez, was attempting to get into the drivers seat of the Accord, said Popiny.

"I tapped (Mendez) on the shoulder and asked him to speak with me," he said. "Mendez said he was the driver of the Honda. As I spoke to him, I could smell an odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his breath and person."

Mendez was administered a breathalyzer test, which tested positive for the presence of alcohol.

"I wasn't able to give him field sobriety tests because I wasn't able to converse with him," said Popiny. "He was intoxicated to

where he couldn't drive safely.

Mendez was read the Pennsylvania Implied Consent Law and provided a sample of his blood.

Popiny said the blood was sealed into a blood evidence kit and sent to Pennsylvania State Police Lima Labs for further analysis.

Jordan Ludwick of the Chester County District Attorney's Office entered into evidence a lab report from Lima Labs, which indicated that Mendez' blood alcohol content was .243 percent.

After hearing all of the court testimony, Magisterial District Judge Ted Michaels held the charges over for trial.

A check of his criminal history revealed that Mendez has been previously arrested twice on public drunkenness charges; as well as disorderly conduct; driving exceeding speed limit; driving while license is suspended or revoked; and numerous arrests for driving without a license.

Mendez remains free on $1,000 cash bail.

His next court appearance is scheduled for Thursday, January 29, 2009 at the Court of Common Pleas in West Chester.