Stolen car report ends in DUI arrest

SANDPOINT — A Sandpoint man who reported his car stolen found his vehicle early Friday morning, but ended up being arrested on suspicion of drunken driving and possession.

Robert Franklin Dettner called emergency dispatchers shortly before midnight to report his Subaru Legacy stolen from downtown, according to the arrest report. As Sandpoint Police officers responded to his location, he called dispatchers again and advised them he found his vehicle on another street.

Dettner's calls were routed through dispatch centers in Kootenai and Bonner counties. Dispatchers on both sides of the county line indicated Dettner sounded intoxicated, the arrest report said.

Concerned Dettner might be planning to drive, officers located the Subaru parked on First Avenue. Officers reported that the car was running, its lights were on and Dettner was sitting behind the wheel with his seat belt fastened and music blaring from the stereo.

Dettner, 26, admitted he had been drinking in several bars that night but insisted he had no intention of driving. He told officers he was using his vehicle to warm up, the report said.

Dettner declined to undergo field sobriety tests and was arrested for DUI. A search of his vehicle resulted in the discovery several grams of marijuana and a pipe. On Friday afternoon, Judge Barbara Buchanan released Dettner on his own recognizance while the case is pending.