Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Man charged with 11th DUI gets continuance
RIDLEY TOWNSHIP >> The preliminary hearing for a Ridley Township man charged in Eddystone last month with his 11th arrest for driving under the influence has been continued to Feb. 10.
Mark Anthony Perrotta, 56, of the 400 block of Sycamore Avenue in Folsom, was arrested Dec. 30 after allegedly striking a parked car on the 1200 block of Eddystone Avenue with his white Ford truck.
Eddystone Patrolman Michael Slowik was already responding to another unrelated call at that address and came outside to see Perrotta sitting in the truck with the airbag deployed, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
Perrotta approached the officer with “an unsteady gait and appeared confused,” the affidavit says. He allegedly had pinpoint pupils and a white powdery substance in his moustache. Perrotta denied being under the influence of alcohol or controlled substances, but a search allegedly revealed five blue wax paper baggies of suspected heroin in his pants pocket, one of which was open and partially used.
“Perrotta denied ownership of the contraband found in his right front pocket, and stated that the pants he was wearing weren’t his,” the affidavit says.
Slowik began field sobriety testing, but quickly stopped due to safety concerns, according to the affidavit. Perrotta allegedly refused to have blood drawn for chemical testing and signed a form acknowledging refusal.
Perrotta was preliminarily arraigned Dec. 31 before Magisterial District Judge Philip S. Turner, who set bail at 10 percent of $50,000, according to online court records. Perrotta posted bail that same day, but it was revoked Jan. 10 according to court records.
Defense attorney Jacquie Jones said Monday there was a question of whether Perrotta had violated probation, which is still being determined, so she agreed to revoke bail to make sure he gets credit while that issue is being addressed.