Law and Order

Fire destroys Spring Hill home

SPRING HILL Two Spring Hill residents are homeless after fire destroyed their house early Friday morning.
Firefighters responded to the fire at 5178 Alliance Ave. at about 4 a.m., according to a sheriff's office report. By then, the house was already engulfed in flames.
Rosemarie Hudnell told authorities she woke up surrounded by flames. She ran to another part of the house to alert Richard Finelli, who owns the home, according to property records.
Hudnell suffered minor burns on her feet and hands and a blister on her forehead. Finelli escaped without injuries.
Hudnell told authorities she fell asleep with a candle burning.
The 29-year-old, 1,000-square foot home was valued at nearly $75,000, according to the report. Finelli told officials he did not have insurance.
The fire marshal is investigating but the report said the fire does not appear to be suspicious.

Woman too drunk to try sobriety exercises, police say

SPRING HILL A 55-year-old woman stopped for suspicion of driving under the influence early Friday morning was too drunk to try sobriety exercises, authorities say.
A Hernando sheriff's deputy pulled over Judy Cook Wilson at about 3 a.m. for driving erratically, according to a report. Wilson had bloodshot eyes and slurred speech and after getting out of the 2004 Ford Grand Marquis "had a difficult time maintaining her own balance," the report states.
The deputy started to run Wilson through the sobriety tests but gave up "due to Judy nearly falling over several times," the report states.
Wilson was taken to the Hernando County Jail, where breath tests indicated her blood alcohol level at nearly three times the legal limit, the report stated. She was charged with her second DUI and held on a $1,000 bond.