DUI charge upgraded to felonies for Richmond man arrested in New Kent

A Richmond man originally charged with driving under the influence in New Kent County now faces felony counts after a check of his criminal record revealed past DUI offenses.

New Kent Deputy Ryan Shobe observed a vehicle being driven erratically on Route 60 in New Kent on Oct. 25. The vehicle then failed to stop for a stop sign, prompting Shobe to conduct a traffic stop. The driver, Jose Alfredo Hernandez-Soto, 31, of the 2500 block of Atwell Drive, failed field sobriety tests after Shobe detected a strong odor of alcohol emanating from the suspect. Shobe charged the suspect with DUI.

A later check of Hernandez-Soto’s criminal record uncovered past offenses, thus the suspect is now charged with third offense DUI in the past 10 years and second offense DUI while driving on a revoked license, both felonies. He is also charged with driving while in possession of an open alcohol container and failure to stop at a stop sign, both misdemeanors. The suspect was being held on $5,000 bond pending an Oct. 28 court appearance.