By Jim Clark

Somerville Police officers were dispatched to a Linden Ave. location in the early last Friday morning on a noise report.

Upon arrival, the officers observed a vehicle in the middle of Linden Ave. The car had the keys on the ignition, in the on position and the engine was running. There was smoke coming from the front tires.

The driver, later identified as Isaias Ayala Mangandi, stepped out of the vehicle and reportedly almost fell, face forward. The officers were able to grab him and help him get back on his feet.

The officers noticed an open half empty bottle of beer inside the vehicle in a cup holder, within arm’s reach of the operator console.

The officers handcuffed Mangandi for their safety and asked him what happened.

Mangandi reportedly stated that he was waiting for a friend that resides on Summer St., and he was inside the car because it was cold.

According to reports, the officers could smell a strong odor of alcoholic beverage emanating from Mangandi, and that he had glassy red eyes, slowly slurred speech and was unsteady on his feet.

Mangandi also reportedly stated that he wasn’t driving the car, that he was just waiting for his friend that lives on Summer St.

Police went to the Summer St. location and woke up the friend in question, who was the registered owner of the car, and explained the situation.

The owner told police that Mangandi is his brother-in-law and that they were drinking all night. He said he went to bed around 1:00 a.m. and that he never authorized Mangandi to use his vehicle and he was very surprised that he had tried to drive the vehicle, because he consumed a lot beer earlier that night.

Based on the owner’s statement and their own observations, the officers placed Mangandi under arrest on charges of operation of a motor vehicle under the influence of liquor, use of a motor vehicle without authority, unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, and alcohol from open container.